THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1901.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 189, 15 August 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1901.

The special meeting held last evening to discuss the report on providing a water supply for Waimate has taken a very wise course in deciding to call a public meeting so as to see the feelings of ratepayers on the subject. The most important questions in connection with the proposition are, can wedepend upon having an adequate supply*-what will be the cost, and how will this money, with the necessary maintenance, be raised. The engineers seem perfectly well agreed that there is enough water in the Waimate Creek to provide for a liberal supply of water for domestic use and town cleansing, while the provision fur motor power* of course, depends on the size of piping used, and the expense 1 incurred. The latest scheme, that of Messrs Meason and Marchant, which was considered by the Council last evening* would, they say, cost £9BOO at the very highest for 250,000 gallons daily, and could, perhaps, be done cheaper. Mr Dobson’s scheme, put forward on August Ist, 1890, would bring into the mains 600,000 gallons daily for £BSOO. That of Messrs j Meason and Merchant's, however, I provides for a reservoir of 1,000,000 gallons capacity, and would bring the water to almost every house in the borough, while the earlier scheme merely provided for cross mains, the reticulation of the back streets being estimated at £3OOO, or a total of £11,500, as against the present £9BOO. On the face of it, Mr Dobson’s scheme is the better, for more than double the quantity of water is supplied for an increase of only £I6OO, and it is probable that were Mr Dobson’s scheme brought up-to-date, he would be able to make a sub*stautial reduction. But these are really points for future consideration by the ratepayers before they decide whether any scheme is to foe or not to be. The thirl point is, perhaps, the most important —what will be the cost of the supply to the individual ratepayer ? The cost, roughly speaking £IO,OOO, could be bor<>wed at 5 p.er ce it., this including a sinking fund Which would pay off toe debt in about 38 years. Our rates, on the unimproved value, are at present 4£d in the £, bringing in £4OO per year. This means that a quarter additional rate would have to be struck to provide the £SOO interest, making our total rate a fraction under XOd-in the £. It may be clearer to some if we say that the old rate on the capital value was Is, and the necessary rate for water would equal Is 4-Jd extra, or a- total indebtedness on the capital value basis of 2s Something would, of course, be needed for maintenance, and if we allow in the £, we get a rate of 2s 61, which would apparently meet all demands. There are many cases in which the ratepayers would simply pay equal to their old rate under th« capital value, With the water in addition, but of this we will speak again, [n speaking of the benefits to be derived the Engineers say that a copious supply of water of the highest degree of purity from a hill stream, and delivered practically to every house in the town, must be considered to be of Very great value, and just as well worth paying for as food or clothing. The great improvement in the general health of a community following the introduction of such a supply is one of its most marked features* To befoul the soil, whilst at the same time water for drinking purposes is drawn from wells sunk in the same befouled area, cannot be done with impunity* The conveniences of such a supply can only be fully appreciated by experience* The reduction in fire insurance premiums due to the establishment of a high pressure supply results also in a considerable saving of money. They had .been asked, how waste water; is to be provided for. after the introduction of the water

supply they recommend. It would be discharged by the concrete street channels where these exist* and by the gutters o t the street formation where there are no concrete channels. It wail necessary to appeal to the experience of other places to show that there is really no difficulty about this; They know of a town in the North Island about five times the population of Waimate, la which high pressure water has been established for the past twenty years. That town has nomore concrete street channelling than has Waimate, probably hot so much, and no difficulty arises there in the disposal' of waste water. In the case of water motors’ discharge it might probably be got rid of by turning it into a well, and would.filter away into the porous gravel underlying the town area. We must not forget also the point raised by Counfeillor Nicol last evening, that besides all other benefits, we W>uld derive a revenue from the water which would go a long towards paying the cost of maintenance. Now that the - scheme has advanced another stage it is to be hoped its every aspect will! * considered,so that when it finally comes up for decision* each may cast his or her vote in the best interests of the town..