MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 50, 1 March 1939, Page 8

MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY

STOCK ON THE OKEHU RESERVE

WANGANUI CITY COUNCIL DECIDES THAT IT SHOULD BE REMOVED

TERMS OF A LEASE ARE INVOLVED

The Wanganui City Council, at a meeting last night, carried three motions with reference to the municipal water supply. It approved of action taken by the Mayor (Mr. W. J. Rogers) and Cr. O. Hales (chairman of the Works Committee) in instructing the city solicitor (Mr. W. J. Treadwell) to take up the legal aspect of removal of stock from the Okehu Reserve with the Health Department, and decided on a definite policy that the stock should be removed at the earliest possible moment. In view of the alarm raised by publication of certain references by Dr. D. Cook, district medical officer of health, with reference to the quality of the water obtained from the dam at Okehu. the council decided that a copy of his report, in full, be handed to the Press, together with copies of correspondence between the city solicitor and the department, and particulars of the terms of a lease by which a previous council permitted stock to graze nn the reserve. In brief, the position the council figds itself in is that Dr. Cook has reported that the water from the upland reaches of the reserve is highly polluted by stock, and has recommended that steps be taken to rectify that. In 1932 the then council, to combat the danger of fire in the reserve, leased to Mr. J. B. Knight, of Palmerston North. 650 acres. It was expressly set out in the terms of the lease that he was to keep the area fully stocked. The period of the lease was for 10 years, with right of renewal and subject to certain other covenants as to fencing and good condition of the land. To carry out the suggestion of the medical officer of health it will be necessary to break the terms of that lease, and the question of damages arises. The city solicitor, in a letter comprehensively setting forth the position, has asked the Health Department whether it intends to act under the provisions of the Health Act, which forbids any person to pollute water used for human consumption and also forbids any local body to allow such water to be consumed in a municipal supply. Degrep nf Urgency at Issue A question at issue before lasi night’s meeting of the council was whether the matter was urgent, or whether there was time to safeguard the council from undue expenses. Crs. D. W. Earle and C. N. Armstrong, basing their opinions on what Dr. Cook had said at a meeting of tne council at the dam, and on a telegram received from Dr. Ritchie, of the Health Department, Wellington, that he was coming to Wanganui on March 7 to confer with the council, that the water was not at present likely to injure people using it, and that the council had time to safeguard its interests in other directions without injuring the health of the community. The Mayor, and Crs. J. .1, Scott, H. Lawrence, and S. J. Harris, on the other hand, said that there was a danger and used the illustration of Dr. Cook himself, that a man might fall 100 feet and not. be injured, while another might fall only four feet and break his neck. It was on this opinion that the council adopted a policy that the stock should come off the reserve as soon as possible, thereby, as Cr. Scott pointed out, removing the cause of the danger. Cr. Armstrong expressed an opinion that he would probably favour that course from the point of view of re-afforestation of the area, apart altogether from a question of health. Cr. Hales, when the debate had closed, reminded the council that Dr. Cook had advised it to retain the Okehu supply once the removal of the stock had been carried out. No Need for Apprehension. ‘•A tremendous amount of apprehension has been caused by what has been published about the water supply,” said Cr. D. W. Earle. “People have gone to their doctors asking whether it is the water that is making them ill ano the doctors have told

them no, and that has been correct.” The speaker said that Dr. Cook had been asked several questions at the dam and had replied in the negative when asked whether the water was seriously contaminated. Asked if he had made a test in the taps at Wanganui, he said that one had been taken, and that was in July when the rainfall was heavy and more likelihood of pollution being washed down into thn dam. That test showed the water to be three times better than [at the Okehu dam, and as it was win- ■ ter time there had been no water I from the Kai Iwi springs to help to I improve the test. Dr. Cook had also ' recommended that tests be maintained at Okehu at the rate of one a i month. That, in Cr. Earle's opinion, • did not stress urgency. “You cannot, j on one test, approve of or condemn a watter supply,” he said. “The ; point I want to make is that the ap- ! prehension which has grown in the ! city can be definitely allayed. The j public does not realise that running 1 water is self-leansing. There should he no fear, on what Dr. Cook has i told us. of anything serious occurring, ' though the water supply is not the j best.” j Cr. Armstrong, supporting the last ’speaker, said that incalculable harm ! had been done by publishing what I had been published. He moved that ! Dr. Cook’s report in full be published, ; and that it be handed to the Press for that purpose, together with a copy of the correspondence between I the city solicitor and the Health De- [ partment and the terms of the lease. ■lt was obvious, he said, that if the Health Department had been satisfied that the water was not fit for human consumption it would have stopped the supply immediately. Dr. Cook had reported in December and it would be March before Dr. Ritchie met the council. Mr. Rogers said he would be happy to second the motion to have the whole of the report published. Dr. Cook had said in plain English that the water was highly polluted with animal manure and steps had to be j taken to rectify that. Mr. Rogers explained that he had seen the ofliIcials of the Health Department when he had been in Wellington last week. Dr. Watt and Dr. Shore had been I absent, but he had seen Dr. Ritchie who had since wired that he would , come to Wanganui on March 7. It was probably because he (Mr. Rogers) i had made his representations so (urgent that Dr. Ritchie had said in his wire that the matter was not one of immediate urgency. “Dr. Ritchie said there was a potential danger,” His Worship added. “The Health Department had reported on this and I am optimistic enough to believe that it will go further.” Matter of Urgency I i Cr. H. Lawrence was of opinion that lhe matter was one of urgency. He (could see no reason at all for opposition to the removal of sotek from the cachment area. There was no doubt about pollution of the water, and therefore there should be no doubt as to whether the stock should come I off immediately or some time in the I future. | Cr. Armstrong's motion was carried unanimously, as was one approving of jt he Mayor and Cr. Hales instructing the city solicitor to take the matter I up with the Health Department. Cr. Scott moved that the council (adopt it as a policy that the stock ■be removed. He asked that if the (water was not dangerous to health, at least it was filthy and removing the stock would mean removing the cause of that filth. If the council had to pay compensation it would have to do so. ' Cr. R. E. Cuthbertson said that the icouncil had to be careful what it didj Cr. Armstrong said that if the .council decided to break the terms of a contract and did not know what it (was committing itself to, then it was (doing something it had never done I before. I Cr. S. J. Harris said that he adopted 'a policy of not blaming the past, but of taking only the good from it. It would be the height of stupidity, how- I ever, to allow the condition of the reserve at present to continue. Cr. Scott’s motion was carried on the voices. you the hearty co-operation of the council in your work." Mr. Francis and Ihe band were aci corded three hearty cheers. “No Complaints." i "First of all I wish to express my ■ thanks to those people who assisted the band to compete at the contest ■by making donations to our funds.' said the conductor, Mr. Francis. "I also must express appreciation of the 'wonderful hospitality of the people lof the South Island. Our visit to I Christchurch was the most enjoyable ■we have ever had. ' "I have no complaint to make about I the band which played at the top ol its form and fully up to our expectations," said Mr. Francis. "Ihe Woolston Band, which won the championship. was an excellent combination and it was very pleasing for our band to gain second place in sucn good company." Mr. Francis concluded by expressing appreciation of the action of the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band in turning out for the welcome. Led by the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band, the Garrison Band then marched along Taupo Quay and up Victoria Avenue. The Garrison Band played from the post office to Maria Place corner, where the bandsmen were dismissed,