LANSDOWNE WATER SUPPLY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10717, 11 September 1912, Page 5

LANSDOWNE WATER SUPPLY

REPORT OF THE HEALTH OFFICER. a spinous posit:ox.

The following letter was read at tho meeting of tho Masterton County Council yesterday, from tJie District f Health Officer, Wellington, re the I Lan.sdo'.vno water supply : "In consequence of a report from Inspector Cairns, I visited Masterton oai August 21st, and in company with Mr Donald, of the Lansdowne Water Committee, I inspected the waterrace from tiie intake on the Riuunahanga lliver to tho hydraulic dams below Maunsell's dam. The race is unprotected throughout the length of its course, amd near its intake there is evidence on its banks of pollution by sheep. Where it passes Mr Dorsott's residence thoro is a distinct nuisance arising from tho drainage and scakago from those promises, and this must eventually fi'nd its way into tho water course, and a little lower down there | is a ep«t Wlicro storm water from the I yard has been known to collect overj flow into the water race. Tho race t from hero flows between ploughed paddocks, and just before it crosses beneath tho railway there are unmistakable signs' of storm water from the paddocks finding its way into tho race. ' Some little distance after it passes under the railway it approaches close to, and rans for a short distance parallel with, the road, and 'here there is a distinct channel, so that the water from the side off the road passes by it direct into tho race; there is also nothing here to prevent dogs, when accompanying sheep and eattlo down tho road, from getting into the stream. Dogs have been seen actually wallowing in the race. "Further down, where it passes through Mr Stooie-Wigg's property, the race is subject to considerable pollution. It passes tmfenced through two "hrtme paddocks of the station | where horses and stock; are evidently ' kept, and it is plain that such aniI mals drink from the stream at this point. It appears that in some of these paddocks the race is the only water supply the stock have got. 1 "After this it crosses the Opaki Road again, and on Mr Home's pro- | perty there is a stock bridge crossing the race, composed of planks with open seams, and, of course, such a condition lays the stream open to considerable pollution. A tributary of the Waipipi passes near here close to the race, and continues on parallel beside the race as far as Maunsell's dam. ' At the. point where the two streams come close together the major portion jof the race- water is discharged into the Waipipi tributary andonly a comparatively small stream'-'of water, is carried down the race for the town supply. "Coming to Mr Welshe's property there is a stock pond beside the race, fed from the Waipini tributary by a flumo pas sin a: beneath the race and the stock pond is of a very defective nature, and here again is a probable source of contamination. On Mr Beetham's property the. Waipipi receives i drainage from a swamp and also from | a septic tank. Near Maunsell's dam j the water race is supposed to he ear-* i lied by means of iron pipes round the I dam to tho hydraulic ram, but this passage is so blocked with roots, that I no water can get through consequent- ) ly the rape water is turned into the tributary of the Waipini, which then I flow-s into Maunsell's dam, and from | the dam the water supply is taken. "On tho upper reaches of Maunsell's dam there are two or three- houses with pigsties and stables, the drainage from which percolates down the dam. Instead, therefore, of having a comparatively pure water supply for Lansdowno from the Ruamahangfi Wiver it is derived from the dam and tli"rpfore from the Waipipi, which is subject'.to considerable pollution in its course receiving drainarro from several swsrnps and also the affluent from a flax-mill when that is working, and ! also the septic tank mentioned before. I Tho pipe-lino passing round Maunsell's j dam seems to be irretrievably choked, j and. therefore, in order to nut tho original scheme into proper working order, it would be necessary to lay an absolutely new lino of pipes to carry tho water from the end .of tho open race to the hydraulic rams. RECOMMENDATIONS.

"So, if Maunsell's dam "could.be kept freo from pollution, •! am of opinion that, instead of laying new pines to carry tho race water, that the water supply bo taken from Maunsell's dam itself, but, to carry out this'suggestion it would be necessary to divert all tho water coming down the Waipipi tributary from entering the dam, and carrying it under tho road to connect with tho natural course below. In that case instead of allowing the raco water to run into the tributary of the Waipipi at the point where tho raco first moots this stream tho weir .should he raised, thus causing the ordinary flow of water in tho raco to pass direct down tho race into tho dam.

"The bridge crossing tho raco on Mr Welshe's property should bo abolished, and in tho placo of this ;v large sized culvert put in. The stock pond on Mr Welshe's property should bo so arranged that no possible- soakaga or any overflow from it could enter tho water race.

"On Mr Stone-Wigg's property tljio race should bo efficiently fenced on both sides where it passes through tho paddocks used by stock —tlio culverts crossing it. made wider, and tlio fence kept well inside the ends of tho culvert. The fencing should bo dog-proof as well as cattle-proof. Stock should bo supplied bv a channel or channels from tho race running to drinking pools, which could be provided in tho various paddocks, but precautions should bo taken to see tlmt 110 overflow from such pools could get back into the water race. Where the raeo first comes in contact with the road, and runs parallel to it, it should be effectively protected from the entrance of dogs, and the drain from tho road, at present carrying storm water into the race, should be pined across tho race and discharged at a distanco from it in the lower lying paddocks, or otherwise diverted. "On Mr Dorsett's property t'hp Nature's Ejnbroc-r.ion — ROOKE'S Eucalyptus Oil. Tie fir.tvt that Australia produces. .There's eomethincr distinctive about ROCKE'S. ntxt: weeks j.\ t hospital. "f suffered with Dysentery for over six yeans. T was in the Camden Hospital for nine weeks, and came out worse than when admitted," says Mrs James Ellis, On k dale. The Oats, via Camden, N.S.W. "I consulted different doctors and was for nine months in bed in my own home. Then I began to take Chamberlain's Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy, and after a few'bottlos were taken I was completely enred and have not bad a return of the dysentery for the last five years."