MASTERTON'S WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10176, 28 February 1911, Page 7

MASTERTON'S WATER AND DRAINAGE.

A SATISFACTORY POSITION

DUE TO THE WORK OF ITS ENGINEER.

The position of ' the water and drainage system of the Masjterton Borough has iso long been regarded with apprehension and distrust, that it is well at this juncture that some definite information! concerning its general condition should be conveyed to the ratepayers. It will be remembered, that some years 'back tllea Engineer of the Borough (Ala - Douglas Diobson) prepared an exhaustive report upon the drainage system, following a report from Dr K. H. Makgill, the District Health . Officer , as to .the "need for reorganization of the drainage scheme of the Borough." Mr Hobson then went into the whole question, and' reported that the cost of reticulation and prpcuring a new owtijall would be £26,775, to which was to be added the cost of land and right-of-Way for outfall main. Tlie recommendations of' Mr Dobson were not given effect to. When his successor, Mr W. T. Mansfield, assumed itlio reins of office, lie 'spent, considerable time in studying the • contour of the/country, the naiture of the soil and the general requirements of the town. He prepared a report showing that, with a comI parattdvely small outlay, the .existing outfall could be placed in a satisfactory condition. ■ He was given a free 'hand in the matter, and the,result of his labours has' been that, for the expenditure of a sum of about £250, the sewage outfall has been made effective, and the town has- probably been saved thousands of pounds. It is (true j that he reoently prepared an elaborate scheme for the sewerage of the whole Borough, which would have necessitated the removal of the outfall works to a larger area; but this having been rejected by the - ratepayers, presumably on ; . the .■ score .of expense, it is well to know, that the existing outfall, as ' improved by the Engineer, will serve the requirements. l of -that portion of ' •the Borough for which the scheme was designed, so long as the present sewerage system exists. Ab the invitation of his ■'•Worship the Mayor, a' > representative of the Age paid) a visit to the outfall a few . days back. He /was surprised ito find what a great deal of effective work had been done at such a comparatively 'small cost. The effluent from the septic tank now passes in a body receiving vats, which are so arranged that the solid matter and scum!/ is deposited. The effluent thence passes /down open chaamels to a miniature " sewage farm, through which it is 1 distributed by means of cross drains. The porous nature of the soil is such that the whole of Ifche effluerut Is absorbed over 'r: a field; 6f acres, and not a particle of it 'ivrda its way to the river. Th© dha&mpis, or duains, are used alternately, iso that -they do not become clogged in any: way.- The Engineer',' apart from. disposing so .successfully with the effluent, 'has protected the area from damage by erosion from flood waters, and is reclaiming 'to the Borough lan area of about seven acres ' of land on the bank of the river which had previously .been converted into river-bed. This lias been done by constructing a training wall of boulders in .the ceiutrfe of the river-lied and diverting;■ , the a'iver watens into their narfcural channel. When', this wall is completed, -the Borough a-eserve. will be absolutely secitfe.' , And all of this work lias been done by tlie expehditure of a few hundred pounds • out of .the ordinary revenue of 1 the Borough. . I '■ . It is not in respect'.to tine drainage alone, '■however, that Mi" . Mansfield' , tlias (brought liisi engineering . ©kill to Ibear with (advantage. -The water tsupply of the town has long been inan unsatisfactory condition, aid the Engineer has found Itime to' give this his close attention. Dicing the dry season® it lias been found necessary 'to draw the water •for town consumption direct from Itibe Wainga,wa with, tlie" -re•suit /that complaints as .to the taste 1 of tlie water have been loud and frequent. To overcome the difficulties of the past', Mr Mansfield 'has, ■ oy '.in, expenditure of about £4O, constructed a dam at the. head works ; which will accommodate a large body of water. This is obtained by rtatural filtration from the river, v The effedt of tlie damming of the water in this way is that the supply to the lower intake, by', the process ,of -percolation, is immensely increased. The work was only completed last, week,* and the effect it has had ! upon the supply 'to the lower • intake is already so manifest that it is considered improbable that the 1 fixture there will be the slightest necessity to draw direct upon tllie river for town supplies. Thus, in a quiet, unostentatious manner, and without the expenditure of large' sums of money, hajs (the water 'Supply, as well as the drainage, -been brought to something like a satisfactory condition. And the ratepayers of the Borougb will find satisfaction in tlie reflection that tilie successor to Mr Mansfield will not have to face immense engineering difficulties and a complaining public a t least for some time to come.