THE WATER SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 280, 29 April 1914, Page 6

THE WATER SUPPLY.

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. ENGINEER'S REPORT. At Monday's meeting of the Borough Council, forcible discussion followed the reading of a report on the municipal water supply, made by the borough engineer. The report was as follows: — As a report oh the municipal water supply had been circulated in the Press, suggesting that a considerable amount "of unliltered water passed into the reservoir, ho asked permission to report fully. When the new forebay was completed, and the first large electric turbine put in use, it was found that the head of water under which the two filters were working was reduced from eight feet to three feet, and this materially affected the efficiency of the filters, and in dry weather, wlien the river was low, they could not maintain the water required without assistance from the bye-pass. This bye-pass was only used in dry weather when the river was low, and consequently clean. In June, 1013, he had advised that two more filters should be procured, or the head of water raised. The Council had then instructed him to prepare a scheme for raising the head of water, and his schemo was adopted. As soon as the loan money for this work was procured, the work was started immediately a-nd had been pushed on as far as possible. One additional filter had also bk'n ordered, which should arrive within a few weeks.

In a written report, Mr. Skitrop stated j that be had visited the filters on the j previous day, in order to obtain partieu- ' lars in reference to the visit to the ' works by the chairman of the Hospital Board, and Mr. A. H. Kendall. The chairman bad said that on Sunday, when be had visited the waterworks himself, [ a considerable portion of the water was , going through the pipes directly into the | reservoir, whilst' very little was going I through the filters. From the relieving I caretaker, Mr. Kemp, and from Mr. ! Hooker, who was attending to the filters I while Mr. Kemp was at liis dinner, he had received an assurance that no unfiltered water was run into the reservoir on that day. This he firmly believed, as it would be quite unnecessary to use the direct supply pipe, there being sufficient water in the river to give the required head to the filters to enable them to maintain the water supply. The direct supply valve combination which allowed unfiltered water to enter the reservoir waa last used several days prior to the 18tb inst., and then only for three hours, to prevent the reservoir from becoming empty. Ife assured the Council that no unfiltered water entered the reservoir, unless it was a question of partly unfiltered water, or none at familiar with the valves, it was impossible for a visitor to tell whether they were closed or not. The Mayor remarked tlmt a third filter was expected to arrive in fourteen days. He had been out to the waterworks that day, and was satisfied that the valves were closed, although it might appear to an inexperienced eye that they were open. If the riverj was in flood, forty filters would not take the discolouration 1 from the water. There were only about (eight or nine of the larger places in tile •Dominion where filters were used.

Cr. Jackson pointed out that the Chairman of the Hospital Board and the Inspector had paid an official visit to the waterworks without notifying the Council. If the Engineer had been with them, there would have been no mistake.

Cr. Kebby agreed. He had himself been unable to tell whether the valves were open or shut, and he wondered how the Chairman of the Hospital Board could.

In reply to Cr. Jackson, the Engineer said that when the valves were turned off they were water-tight. The Mayor questioned the courtesy of the Chairman's action in paying a surprise visit to the works. Ct. Clarke defended it, as being merely in the performance of his duties.