THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1901. WATER SUPPLY FOR WAIMATE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 187, 10 August 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1901. WATER SUPPLY FOR WAIMATE.

The Waitmte Borough Council lias just received the report presented by Messrs and Marchant, Civil Engineers, who were appointed to ascertain the possibility of obtaining a hi„ r h pressure water-supply for Waiuiate. The report is not of great length, and we quote therefrom as follows:—"It is proposed to draw the supply from the creek at Kelsey's bush, at about 25 chains above Mr Kels-y's house. From this point the water would be conducted in earthenware pipes jointed with cement to a little below the cross road leading to the late Mr Hayes' farm buildings, the pipe being laid along the road to this point as soon as it leaves the river terrace. From the point above mentioned a cast iron pipe would be laid across the creek valley, being carried over the 'creek bed on railway iron piles, and rising the downs on the north side of the creek, t© the reservoir site on Mr O'Brien's land, R.S. 4314. From thence the cast iron town main would be laid. Gaugings of this creek as Btated in the report of Mr E. Dobson, M. Inst, CE.> in 1890, gave the dry weather flow at 150 gallons a minute. Last month, when we visited the creek with the members of the Waimate Borough Council, the flow was then stated by Mr Kelsey to be as low as he had ever seen k There was then certainly 150 gallons a minute visible, and probably a considerable flow beneath the shingle bed. We ganged the •stream some fortnight afterwards, and then found a flow of about 1200 gallons a minute, due to rain having fallen a few days previously. It may certainly be assumed that the flow of this creek never falls below a yield of 150 gallons a minute, or over 200,000 gallons per diem. The population of the town was stated by the Town Clerk fo be under 1500. Allowing 40 gallons a he;;d daily, this Would amount to 60,000 gallons, while waste and supply for cleaning channels would account for probably 20,000 gallons more. If the total supply to the town is fixed at a minimum, of 100,000 gallons daily, this represents only one-

i»lf of the available flow of the •eek, and allows a very liberal >nsumption indeed to the inabitants. The teservoir site sleeted stands at an -elevation of bout 200 feet above Queen street, 5 that a first-rate pressure would e "available 'for fire extinction nd for driving any motors if the 'ouncil thought fit to arrange the cheme so that a few small motors aight be used. The several sngths of street main proposed re as follows':—6in pipe from eaervoir, 130 chains ; sinpipe, 47 ihains ; 4in pipe, 21 chains ; 3in )ipe, 340 chains, or a total of 538 :hains of cast iron street main. In iddition to this we propose' 220 mains of lin galvanised pipe to supply Short lengths of streets where houses are few and fat between. So that practically nearly every house in the borough would be served by the water supply. By providing reservoir ■jtorage for 1,000,000 gallous, we think that 250.0U0 gaLlous daily might be reckoned on as being capable of delivery in the town. Deducting 100,000 gallons for domestic use and town cleansing., leaves 150,000 gallons avai labia for small motor powers. This quantity, if all used during eight Is outs, would provide about ten horse-power daily. The question of water rights will prola ! bly •have to be settled with those landowners who may be injuriously affected by the abstraction of the creek water for use in the town. This possible difficulty may be met by providing proper drinking troughs served from the pipe supplying the reservoir along that stretch of ground lying between Kelsey's and the creek passing Hayes' farm builings The usj of water for gardening purposes results in great wastes and should be strictly prohibited, unless a meter is fixed on ttie service pipe and the water used paid for accordingly. Estimate of Cost. Intake to reservoir, including establishment of drinking troughs in compensation to landowners ... ... ... £3OOB Reservoir complete, 1,000,000 gallons capacity 120 G Main pipe rrom reservoir and town reticulation, 9£ miles piping, including fireplugs and sluices ... 6000 House service pipes between main pipe and section frontages ... 400 Wny leave for pipes and land purchase >.. ..-. ... 200 Total s.. ... ... £9BOO The estimate includes engineering and supervision, and everything is fully allowed for. We art certain that the work can be executed for less than the amount stated. It would be possible (o reduce the estimate by decreasing the sizes of the pipes and resw* voir, and by curtailing the area for waich the reticulation is arranged. Probably the greatest possible reduction that could be made would amount to not mora than £ISOO, and would result in a very inferior scheme compared with that which we recommend. It has been suggested to us that public stand pipes should be set at sparsely populated points, so that people could obtain water from the town service and carry it to their respective houses, and thus save the cost of so many pipes being laid. We do not think that any such system would be successful. In order that the full benefit of a town supply may be enjoyed it is necessary that'it should be delivered by the local authority at the boundaries of the sections, so that each owner ha! only to pay for the short length of pipe laid on his privaH property." The above report seems to us a very favourabt one, and we urge the ratepayer* to give it their best attentionTht Borough Council are to meet on Wednesday evening next, t« coisider the report, and it is to b» hoped they will decide to put tb» proposal to the ratepayers. We will return to the question aftd the Council meeting.