Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 145, 6 November 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From Our Resident "Reporter. THE TOV/H WATER SUPPLY COUNCIL DISCUSSES ITS PURIFICATION. From time to time Stratford has a I spasm about its water supply. The original filtration scheme, bv pipes running under the lied of the stream at the intake, was a failure. For years pant there lias been no filtration of any kind, and as the source of supply is a mountainous stream, running through cultivated lands, it carried with it at times quite a large quantity of silt, a fact well ■known to users of the water. This matter formed the principal subject for discussion, at Monday night's special meeting of the Borough Council. Correspondence was read from the Council's consulting engineer, Mr. H. W. Climie, which succinctly stated the position. Writing to Anns of manufacturers of mechanical filters, lie explained that the intake was about three miles from, and 2GO feet above the level of the town; but the site recommended by him ! for the filter was about half a mile from and 50ft above the level of the town. There would therefore be a static pressure of 210 feet or !)1 pounds per square inch oil the filters. He recommended a filter direct 011 the main,' without a reservoir tank. It would require to be of sufficient capacity to supply water for a population of 2500, allowing an aver- • | age of GO galkns per head per day, with ■ a draw-off of 2'/> times the average, i Therefore the capacity of the filter re- | quired to be 15,025 gallons an hour, for ; domestic supply only, but as. the Council supplied water from the main, for motive power, the actual quantity used for a short, time (say, eight hours during the day) would be quite 30,000 gallons per hour." During the summer months, when the stream is low the water 1 ad a peaty or boggy taste. In the winter th-j water loses this taste, but sometimes through freshes in the river the water is discoloured; but in my opinion the water is never so bad as to. require chemieal'treatnient before being passed through the filter." The Candy Filter Company, of London, replied that three filters of 8 feet 3 inches >lll diameter would he needed■ for 1 dealing with a maximum of 16,000 gallons an hour, or six filters for 30,000 or 32,000 gallons. The filters could be arranged, if necessary, to work under the company's- compressed air system .by which means the incoming water would j be sprayed through the cushion of ail [ in. the top dome and thoroughly aerated, thus making doubly sure of removing the peaty or boggy taste during the summer months. The maximum loss of pressure due to the filters need not exceed four or five poumß and when clean the loss would be less than this. The filtered water could be delivered direct -into the mains, and the filters worked continuously. The price would -be £299 10s per filter, exclusive of import duties, the cylinders, c.i.f., Wellington, and the rest of • the installation c.i.f., New Plymouth. The Mayor said the matter was one of 1 great importance. There was no doubt that the Council would have to take I some steps to improve the condition of the water, but it was a question whether I they would be justified in spending £2OOO | or £3OOO on it. Considerable improvej ment could be effected at less cost by the I construction of a settling tank, j Replying to Cr. Hoaly, who urged the necessity for securing fuller information, His Worship stated that his original [ motion to institute some scheme of improving the water supply had been withdrawn in deference to Cr. liealy's proposal to secure a report from Messrs. Robinson and Christophers upon the feasibility of re-establishing the old system. The cost of such a report; however, had . been thought excessive. Cr. King considered there was no justification for the proposed heavy expendi- ' ture. No mechanical filtration would remove the mossy and peaty taste. The Stratford water supply was, in his opinion, superior to that of Auckland, Wellington, or Palnierston North. Analysis had shown it to be a good palatable water, and the discoloration was not hurtful. He opposed spending £2OOO on an experiment. Cr. Healy said it would not be an experiment, and the Mayor added that the mechanical filters would certainly remove the discolouration and take out a lot of 1 deleterious matter. Cr, Dingle remarked that the water j had greatly improved in the past twelve months. He questioned whether filtra- ; tion would have the effect of improving the taste, which was certainly objectionable. At the bowling green it had been found necessary to erect a tank for water for tea-making. Cr. Morrison wanted purer water, but wanted more information before voting for the expenditure of £2OOO or £3OOO. In answer to a question, the Town Clerk said that no maker had definitely assured that filtration would remove the mossy taste. Cr. Ward strongly advocated the adoption of some system of filtration,, but thought the Council should ascertain the effect of the suggested filters where installed in New South Wales. Whilst on this matter the Council should consider the advisability of compulsorily acquiring two or three acres of land at the intake. Replying to Cr. King, the Mayor stftted that there seemed to be an opinion abroad that the Council was unduly delaying the loan .scheme. This was not so" The Council had been very, very busy; had held numerous meetings, and collected a tremendous amount of information as to the requirements of the town which would be invaluable even if 110 loan were carried. Cr. King urged putting the loan schomn forward without delay. It would be a mistake to hang up the whole scheme because of the waterworks requirements. Correspondence having been received from the makers of the Mather and Piatt filters, which have been installed at Palnierston North, Feilding and New Il\mouth. Cr. Dingle moved that the Mayor and Crs. King and ITcaly be a committee to obtain information from these centres, and to visit New Plymouth. The people in that town, he said, had had trouble 1 for mv.ny years with the Avater supply, and it would be interesting to ascertain what result the filtration had-''had. This motion was carried. STRAY PARAGRAPHS At the Council meeting on Monday the Reserves Committee reported having leased sub-division of section 32(> for a term of ten years from the Ist of July, 1912. under the same conditions as imposed when the lease was offered by diction. The lease had been signed.— Action approved. Sub-division 1, of section 326 comprises one of the shops now tenanted by Mr. A. Spence, on a monthly tenancy. As he has two shops on the one agreement, the Town Clerk has notified him to quit both of them in. order to free otie for the new firm. Mr. Spence would have an application in for the other one by next meeting of the Council. Committees and. sub-committees are often called together at very short notice. It often happens that notices calling these meetings do not reach the persons concerned, or, if they do. the time allowed is sometimes inadequate. An instance of this was mentioned at Monday night's Council meeting, when Councillor Dingle complained that, he had had only five minutes'"notice of a meeting of the Reserves Committee. "I'm not," he said, 1 "sittini? on mv doorstep wait in 2 for the

S%Br Borough Council to ring me up." The Major explained the special circumstances in this case, and the matter dropped. It cropped up again later in tin; evening, when arrangements were made for a conference of the Council'.-, Lighting Committee with the directors of'the Electrical Supply Company. Cr. Dingle said he could not attend a meeting by day without considerable inconvenience and loss of time which he was not prepared to give. He did not jnind giving his evenings from 7 o'clock to 11 o'clock, if necessary, to the consideration of the public business, but his farm must have his 'attention during the day time. The Mayor remarked that he had to attend meetings at all times—morning, noon, . and night, to which" Cr. Mealy laughingly rejoined, "but you have nothing to do." The Mayor's reply was lost in the laugh which greeted it.* ■ The bowling green is to be opened on Thursday. Yesterday's ''par" was incorrect. , The green is improving wonderfully under the magic influence of the present fine "growing" weather. Guy Fawke's Day. Picture a S' raiford resident, clothed in a little short singlet and nature's dress, holding the milk-jug out of the door! Picture the scurrying kiddies when, instead of the soft-running of the milk into the jug, lie heard'"Plea.se j -remember the 'Guv!" Perhaps the householder thought the youngster was personal. At another house the -'"guy" was stretched to the back door in the grey dawn, 'fiie housewife, in a 'hasty glimpse, was horrified', and hastened her better half out of bed to see what was wrong with the injured man! Pug puppies got at that "guy" during breakfast, and the procession was over. The "guys" were very numerous, and the youngsters were peuy-hunting by four o'clock in the -morning! The Hospital Board had a short meeting yesterday. The names of Misses Florence Wilson and Miss Hita CarrOomyns were placed on the probationers' list. The Superintendent reported 10 admissions, twelve patients discharged, twelve remaining in the hospital, and no deaths. The secretary reported that the general account was £l5O worse off than last year, owing to increased cost all round. A meeting of ladies and others will be held to organise a hospital collection on Christmas Evq. Tenders were accepted for the'isolation ward supplies: Furniture, Messrs. W. and E. Brocklebank; drapery, Messrs. Morey -Mid Son;, ironmongery, Messrs. Bellringer liios.; bedsteads, the Taranaki Hardware Company; all Stratford firms. . The afternoon parade of cadets, intended to be held on Thursday, is postponed till Thursday, 14th inst. BERNARD'S PICTURES The present series of pictures ;• t Ilis Majesty's Theatre is intensely popular—as is but natural, for they Q re n lemarkably fine collection. The Gaumont Graphic has long challenged the snpremicy of the Pathe Frere Gazette, ai.d this was never so strikingly displayed as in the present series, when -.he Oanmont' Company showed a film unequalled litany previous production. The picture is designated "animated news," aid is a fine epitome of remarkable happenings. The dramas are a fine lot. Ma'inee Costello, the brilliant American actor, figares prominently in a "Spider's Webb," a thrilling drama associated with the frenzied finance of America's irreat citv. Associated with him are -rveral of the i most prominent actors and rdnssrs, with the result that the real live story is admirably pourtrayed. "Dark l'>ath- , er'g Strategy" is a fine Indian film, that holds the interest of .the s.ndisn;'e'from first to last. . There are ither fine pictures. including some roof-raising comics. See this programme to-night, and bcrcmo a picture devotee. '