Thames Water Supply Corporation.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2630, 13 June 1877, Page 2

Thames Water Supply Corporation.

An adjourned meeting of the Thames Water Supply Corporation was held at the Council Chambers at 7.30 o'clock last evening, the special business being for striking a rate. There were present—Dr Kilgour (in the chair) Messrs Macnab, Bead and Scott.

THE AUDITING OP ACCOUNTS

. A letter was read from the auditors in reply to one sent by the Corporation referring the accounts back to them for the purpose of asking them the meaning of the items, " Suspense,,, £129 8s 9d." The auditors had expunged it from the balance sheet, as it was a private borrowing and illegal, in their opinion. Mr Macnab remarked that it was a bad precedent to borrow of the Borough, but the circumstances needed it.

The Chairman said that they had no right to combat the decision of the auditors.

The matter then dropped* ."' WOBKS COMMITTEE'S EEPOBT. '

The report of the Works Committee was then read. " With reference to the repairs to the Waiotahi Creek supply they recommended that the drive leading from the spring to the reservoir be cleaned out, and six new sets «f timber put up with the necessary slabs;, also that the floor be repaired, which will take 100 feet of 1-inch boards. The total cost of the work will hot exceed £12. With respect to the general supply, your committee recommend that at present the flume be of wood, and erected by tender, the length to be from where the present iron part of the flume ends to the reservoir, estimated cost £60. The Committee find the present 4-inch pipes, are so choked as not to allow more than two inches of water to pass through them, especially at all fire-plugs, bends and valves. The committee having in view the safety of the town from fire, as well as.a proper supply of water for the health of ttie residents', consider it imnprntivp t.liaft the present 4-inch pipes be

cleaned, ana suggest-tnat tue woFK-tra done by tender, the committee's turncock to prepare the plan and specifications for the work.—James Kilgouh, Chairman." ''-'": £ v The Chairman said that they would not be in a position to discuss the report until the turncock's report was read.

turncock's eepoet.

The report of the Turncock, Mr Laurie, was read as follows :—" I hare the honor to report that, with respect to the Waiotalfi Creek Water Supply, the drive leading from the. spring to the reservoir has fallen in for a distance of 36 feet, and [requires sir sets of timber, 136 slabs, and 100 feet of 1-inch flooring boards. I estimate cost of repairs £12. With respect to the general supply : The flume is perfectly rotten,, and has also sunk below its proper level for a length ol 200 yards. The wood work is not worth repairing, arid I require, for legs, 1500 feet of 6 x 3 timber, and, if a wooden flume, 3600 feet of inch boards 12 inches wide; biit I recommend that the flume be made d? iron plates, the which, if the committee sanction, I shall require 200 sheets, or 13 tons, at: Cartage, £10 ; bending plaies, £10; putting in position, £40; fillingjegs, £5 ; nails,"Ac., £5. I find the 4-iriih pipes are nearly closed, especially at\ all the fire-plugs, valves, and bends, in many cases not allowing 2 inches of water!to flow through. I suggest to the committee either to allow me to clean out tht present pipes from the reservoir to Goiien Crown street, or to

continue the 10-inch new pipes to Hogg's corner, the latter being far preferable, as I have sufficient water at all times to supply a 10' inch main. I should require 115 tons of 10 inch pipe, at £7 10s per ton, delivered in Auckland—£B62 10s— which, with incidental expenses, will make the total cost of laying such main £1300. To clean out the present pipes (4-inch), and re-fix valves; fireplugs and bends, will cost £250. I wish to impress on the committee that one or other of these plans must be done at once, or the supply of water will all but cease. —1 remain, &c, W. LATtEiE, Turncock."

The Chairman said that at the Works Committee's meeting to-day they had gone into a calculation, iaud had found that the wooden flume f, would be the cheapest, and as this was a work of immediate necessity, they (the?: Works Committee) had resolved to recommend this expenditure. They had seen Mr Murray and had asked for the moneyUor the work, but were refused, and Mr Murray gave them to understand thaf| (he Bunk expected the rates due in July to pay off the orerdraft.

[The Mayor here came in and took the chair.]

The reports were adopted on the motion of Mr Scott.

THE GATHERING GROUND,

The clerk drew attention of the Corporation to the fact that persons were removing timber from the- Water Supply gathering ground for posts, etc. He suggested that something be done'to.preventit. ' '■;■ ■■■''■-■' ■■■yr l-: ■••'-?-:.

Mr Bead moved, and Mr Macnab seconded, that an advertisement be inserted in the papers cautioning persons against removing timber from within the boundaries of the gathering ground. Carried.

THE BATE

la answer to a question from the Chairman the clerk stated that during last year the expenditure had exceeded the receipts by upwards of £500. The present year's income would be smaller as several of the batteries had taken in the Government Water Supply. A conversation here ensued, and the blank spaces for the rates on the. annual report were filled in, and the completed report was read as follows :—" The committee hare to report to the ratepayers that during the present financial year the mains .and sub-mains of the Thames water supply have been extended a* follows: Collins, street, 300 feet; Sealey street, north side, 600 feet; Eyre street, 430 feet; Eichmond street, north side, 230 feet —south, side, 750 feet; Mackay street, 700 feet; Mary street, north aide, 260 feet; Baiilie street, 500 feet; Davy street, west side, 400 feet; Sealey street, south side, 300 feet; Harvey street, 320 feet; Campbell street, south side, 1,060 feet; Mary street^ south side, and Earaka Boad, 2,450 feet; Alfred street, Parawai, 4G3 feet; Albert and Pollen streets, 80 feet; Goodwood Koad, Parawai (Spencer's Parawai gardens), 800 feet; Bird inHand Hill, 500 feet; Pahau-street, 600 feet; and Kirkwood-street, 100 feet. That about 960 feet of the old wooden flume leading from the source of the water supply to the reservoir.has been removed, and replaced with iron. The old filter, which was found to act bat imperfeptly, has also been taken down, and. one much larger, and on an improved principle, constructed, through which, the water is purified before it enters the reservoir. The committee, up to the present time, have not been able to negotiate the loan of £2,000 on the terms authorised by the Act of the General Assembly, under which committee are constituted, or mains and sub-mains would have been extended over the greater 4>art of the streets of the Borough and Highway districts, from the' residents in which many applications for water have been received, but from the want of means of supply, obliged to be refused. Very lately a supply of five and a half tons of 10-inch pipes (about 75 yards) have been obtained, and laid down from the reservoir towards the first flange.. This will give a greater pressure of water over the whole district, and free a small quantity of 4-inch pipe for use elsewhere. The receipts for water supplied have amounted to £698 4s 6d; for making connections with the main pipes and for material sold, £78 los 4d. These amounts have been supplemented by an | overdraft from the bank of £546 6s 7d. The freeholdjof the workshop in Pahaustreet has been obtained, and has been substantially fenced round. A trough for boiling the pipes in tar has also been erected within the premises. The cost of the sub-mains and extensions laid down by. the committee has been'£ss7; of the new fluming, £80; of the new filter, £10; of cleaning reservoir and laying down the 10-inch pipes, £129; valves on the mains to confine the water within certain parts of the township (should occasion require), £65 ; the workshop, including the trough in which the pipes are glazed, £110; and the public drinking fountains, £26 15s lOd. The committee have determined the charges for water supply for the ensuing year for hotels and for steam and water engines to be fixed by the committee on each application:—For butchers, bakers, and livery stable keepers, £2 10s; for shops only, 10s; for private dwellings of not. more than three rooms, 10s; for those not exceeding seven rooms, 30s ; and for houses; with a larger TffWn^ef^£HKnjins7-4d^^ poses by special agreement. For the first time the water is supplied to any premises the charge will be proportionate to the time unexpired of the committee's financial year, from Ist July to 30th June, but the full'yearly'.rate will be cliarged after the first, whether or not the water, from any cause, has been cut off from the premises for any portion of such year. " The report was adopted. ' After accounts to the amount of £71 had been passed for payment the meeting terminated.