WATER SUPPLY.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 960, 5 August 1903, Page 3

WATER SUPPLY.

MB MATTHEWS’ BEPLY.

Mr E. G. Mattthews wrote as follows

“ I havo the the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 22nd inst. I think from tho remarks of the Mayor and Councillors as reported in the newspapers that thoro must bo some mi-apprehension as to the exact locality of tho dource I suggested for the consideration of the Council, viz., Barker’s Creek. The valley is not soon by one travelling up the road past Wade s and O’Grady’s to what is known as Paddy Maher’s cutting, but is over the other side of tho ridge on which Mr O'Grady s house stands, and quite out of the way of travellers. “ As regards the remark that tho stream runs dry in summer—On Saturday, July 25th, 1 saw two of the Messrs Barker Bros., as well as Mr O’Grady and Mr Douglas, all of whom have known this creek for nearly 20 years, and they all assure me it has never been dry. I don’t know that there is as much evidence that tho Waihirere creek always flows at the site of tho proposed dam. However, this is of no importance, as Mr Mostaycr says 1 Isolated observations (of the flow) are worthless . . . tho supply must depend solely upon the rainfall.’ “ As regards tho valley not being so enclosed as Waihirere Bealising that it was useless to suggest a source that lost in cost of head works what it gained in cost of pipe line, I measured the width of the valley before suggesting the source to the Council. Following the surface of the

ground, it measured 4£ chains across to the 60ft love]. Major Winter’s plan gives 4 chains straight across as the width of Waihirore at the 60ft level. Hence there is practically no difference between the two places in this respect. “As regards' the scheme being a small one, Mr Mestayer estimates that, taking the moan of the three driest years as a basis, 260,000,000 gallons would be available at Waihirere for supply purposes ; or taking the mean of the three driest consecutive years (the usual basis, he says, of calculation for storage supplies), that 330 million gallons would bo available, and this is from 730 acres. By a simple process of arithmetic it is easily found that the quantity available from 600 acres, the area of catchment at Barker’s Creek, on the first basis above would be 214 million gallons, and on the second basis 257 million gallons. Now it follows that 15,000 persons, consuming 40 gallons a day, would require a supply of 600,000 gallons a day, or 219 million gallons per annum. Hence Barker’s Creek, taking tho usual basis of calculating storage supplies, would supply this numbor of persons, 15,000, with 40 gallons per head per diem for 14 months.

“.Can this bo called a small scheme ? These facts and figures surely show that Barker's Creek is prima facie suitable for supply purposes, and that the suggestion is at least worthy of some consideration before tho Council embarks on such an expensive schemo as Waihirere, which, both as regards tho height of the dam and tho size of the reticulation mains proposed, must bo only temporary. “ I might mention that in the immediate vicinity of this source are Barker’s Spring, Caulton’s Creek, and Douglas’s Creek, all of which have beon suggested as possible sources of supply, and which could be used to augment Barker’s Creek when the population had outgrown its capacity.

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. Waihirere Barkor’s Available supply in million gallons calculated on mean of three driest years 260 214 Available supply in million gallons calculated on mean of three driest consecutive years ... 330 257 Consumption in million gallons required ra one year by 15,000 persons at 40 gallons per head per diem 219 219 Area of catchment, in acres ... 730 600 Height of dam above town, in feet 264 200 Length of dam, in chains 4 4J Length of pipe line, in

miles ... ... ... 9 4 Cost of pipe lino, 12inch in diameter ,£24,120 ,£11,720 “ The access to Waihirere is difficult, while to Barker's the access is easy, a road being partly formed to the site of the dam. “As the valley at Barker’s Creek is more open immediately behind the site of the dam, the reservoir would have a greater holding capacity.” The Mayor proposed that 1 Mr Matthews be thanked, and informed that having decided in favor of Waihirere "they were not likely to choose his site. Cr Ijysnar hoped that because they had done an illegal thing in obtaining the Waihirere site it would not dam all other schemes. His objections applied to this scheme, but it should be investigated, and if they wore going to get the Government Geologist he should inspect it. On the ground of cost this schemo was preferable to Waihirere —the difference, in cost of mileage would pay for the cost of Waihirere. A vote of thanks to Mr Matthews was and then Cr Lysnar moved, and Cr Whinray seconded, that in case the geologist was obtained he report on this site also.—The motion was carried unanimously. Later on it was resolved, on the motion of the Mayor, to apply to Government to send a geologist to report on the Waihirere and Whataupoko sites.