WATER SUPPLY FOR TE AWAMUTU.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 48, 29 September 1911, Page 2

WATER SUPPLY FOR TE AWAMUTU.

TO THE EDITOR, j SIR, —The recent small fire has emphatically shown'the immediate necessity of a water supply. At the recent ,meeting of ratepayers to discuss a supply, Mr Suggate explained the gravitation scheme fully. There is no doubt that the gravitation scheme is the best, but it will be a terribly big burden for a very few to pay. It is the small ratepayer who can best meet the expense ; the l-arger ratepayers have nearly five times the proportion of the cost. Taking figures from the rate book, it shows that 83 people under £4OO represent • a total capital value of about £16,000, while 82 people over £4OO reprer sent a: capital value of about £76,000. On a ballot being taken it is quite possible for 21 per cent of the town value to dictate to 79 per cent. I would like to give your readers a fuller idea of the pumping scheme. Many people have the erroneous idea that any money spent on a pumping supply would be wasted, of no use to a futijre gravitation supply, but just consider. Every main,pipe, fireplug, or connection is a step towards the ultimate supply when the town increases to say 3000 inhabitants, when a costly .scheme could be reasonable afforded, it then being only a matter of connecting the pipe line from Pirongia mountain to the existing reticulation, while the tower would always be a reserve in case of the mains bursting or any other accident occurring to interrupt the main supply. The recurring cost of pumping seems a stumbling block to some, but the more water used the cheaper in proportion will be the cost of pumping.

I would like your readers to consider this question. All the present houses have'a.tank supply. The majorit}' of people would sooner use roof water at nothing than the town water at is per 1000 gallons, while others have wells or bores, so that at present it is not safe to base any estimate of the revenue to be derived from the full number of inhabitants.

It would be well to give an idea of the subterranean water. For some 200 to 300 feet the formation is of pumice sand, being Nature’s own best .filter. The water is of exceptional purity and cool in temperature. The Rev. Mr Mason considers, there is an unlimited supply obtainable. A small local bore was tested at the rate of 2000 gallons per Hour, giving, say* 48,000 gallons per day —more than enough to supply the estimated requirements (21,000 gallons) of the present inhabitants.

The decrease in insurance would be trifling for the majority compared to water rates. Most people live in fully detached houses. The congested business area is the principal gainer at the expense of the residential portion.

In considering fire purposes it was stated that a 551 b or 6olb sustained pressure was the lowest recommended by the city fire brigades. That is quite right, considering the large buildings perhaps ten stories in height, buildings in which a fire would rage fiercely for nearly a day.

For the next 10 or 15' years a tower supply would be sufficient to combat any fire in this town, the buildings being • mainly wooden and small, most of which would burn out jn a few minutes.

I hope the question of water will be maturely considered by the people, because, to my idea, the pumping supply is the best course open to us at a reasonable cost, and within our. means for the next few years, it being a part of the more comprehensive scheme when the growth of the town warrants it. r Mr Suggate, in his kindly criticism, estimated the cost at between £6OOO and £7OOO. I have . an estimate for a ferro-concrete tower, a graceful edifice, for~^- r £1250, containing 60,000 Cambridge’s present tower, Co# taining 20,000 gallons, cost £llOO, which serves for domestic and fire purposes for about 2000 inhabitants.

The value of rateable arid public buildings in the main part of the town is about £30,000, thus showing that the outlying residences and farm lands will have to pay dearly for the benefit of the business people, say £60,000 to help £30,000. In reviewing water supplies in other places, we find that the pipe line for Tauranga cost £1175 per

mile ; the estimated cost per mile for Te Kuiti was £IOSO. This gives a chance to arrive at a cost • as follows : ■%. . £ Pipe line to Pirongia, say • ~'l2 miles at £IOOO ... 12,000 Reticulation (vide Mr C. Suggate’s remark, WAIPA; POST, 25/8/II 4,500 Intake dam, waste weir, •straining well,tunnel, etc. ~V 12,000 Break pressure tank, air, scour and stop valves etc. ... ... ... 200 Fire plugs, etc 3 00 18,200 Engineer’s allowances 5% town and 1%% contractor gives ... 1,183 __£i9,3 8 3 I, as do many others, consider the Mangaoi supply only 7 miles away, has been passed over too hurriedly. The water has its origin in a fine mountain almost ' equal to Pirongia; the contamination from farms is practically nothing but/ sentiment, being only infinitesimal in propoiticn to the supply. The Mangaoi should be quite 30 per cent, cheaper than Pirongia, shorter distance, no river to cross, easy country, and further, Kihikihi could be supplied en route. A water supply we must have, but whichever is adopted, it is advisable *to have the meter system, it is a recognised fact that the meter reduces the consumption by fifty per cent. I believe in the water rate being levied per inhabitant not on the capital value, this giving the majority in numbers an advantage over the minority who own 79% of the town. To try and illustrate this feature. Suppose the small man said, “I pay only a penny to send a letter. You must pa} r five pence because you have more money than I have.” Now, Mr Editor, I feel assured that your columns will push along ,an efficient water scheme within reasonable cost and our own borrowing powers. The gravitation scheme is the best, at say, £20,000, a gravitation supply from the Mangaoi at, say, £15,0000, a pumping scheme sufficient lor many years £7OOO. Trusting these remarks will help to bring this question to a speedy realization, and enable those who have the burden to bear to consider the relative merits of each. I remain, Always Ready to Help the Public Good. PI. F. EDGECUMBE. Te Awamutu.