THE WATER SUPPLY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 12 February 1913, Page 5

THE WATER SUPPLY

OR. EWINGTOX'S MOTION. At the monthly meeting of Masterton Borough Council held evening. Or Ewington moved, in ac--oordance wi,th notice of motion giv* ''that the borough engineer bt.'-c down a report and estimated cost •• improving the borough water supply, by tapping tho aingawa river . the gorge; aiso re the advisabi •vv of duplicating the present tn::v. main, and increasing the size of t reticulation mains and any otV? scheme the engineer may prop ■ with a view of placing the pi op'■•-■• - before tho ratepayers at the earlier; possible momeni." Cr Ewington said that he broxvrH this motion forward a.s it was pi ■"• ] y evident that the present supply ;f! water was inadequate. He drew " + - tention to the Waingawa viver, v« because it was a proposal of Ins »' ~ but on the strength of the repr -- presented by engineers at differ ..*■ times, and for this reason ho _rec< mended it for the consideration ■• tho Council. It seemed to him t.: tho only sourco was from the Y-. mngawa river. It might mean the ir!raping of the riwi' a mile or two f ther up the stream. Which should " suit in ail extra 451 hs pressv; Greater pressure was certainly necessary, as had been shown by results'of the fire on Monday. J'o. as a 'member of the. Fire Board. Vt tho position keenly, and he repog" : --' ed that the position was acute. , .H: present there was not sufficient pressure for effective work in the c v :sc of fire. Reticulation was, of 'coir-?\, the chief trouble. The mains w too small. He recognised that trie* chief- difficulty was the question finance. There would be trouble raising, a loan, but something should be done and done as soon as possi !>•'?.< He would recommend that the borough engineer be instructed to report on any scheme he might p.opose, and he was sure that if : engineer were given a free banc; iKwould bring down a -suitable schej'C'. The ratepayers should be asked to sanction the raising of a loan. Cr Prentice seconded the 'motion, and said that lie was surc% the engineer would be able to bring down some valuable information. Cr Temple did not think that anything definite should lie done until the engineer reported on .the schemo suggested at ilast meeting bv tho Mayor, and suggested the calling of a special meeting, at which the reports of the engineer on any proposed scheme might be presented. ~ The Mayor said that the question! was a big one, and there was no doubt but that, the present watert scheme was inadequate. The ratepayers had been given an opportunity; to'improve the present .system, and had turned it down. He had already given instructions to the engineer to bring down a " report on a scheme! which he had already outlined. He would, however; like the engineer to go into the whole question before a report was brought down. lOtlier councillors spoke in favour of the resolution, which was carried, and it was also decided that when the engineer's report was -com Dieted, a special meeting would be called to consider tho report.