DRAINAGE BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4173, 5 September 1881, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

An ordinary mooting of tho Christchurch District Drainage Board wus hold this aftornoon, when tho following momborß were present : — Mr J. H. Tancred (Chairman), aud Messrs W. White, junr., J. V. Ross, J. E. Brown, 0. R. BlukiMon and F. Hobbs. BNQINBBtt's BEIOBT. Tho Engineer's report was read aa follows : Tho subject of complaint of Mr A. Mahor I find to bo that tho strong current in tho drain on rural section 345 has undermined tho randy sides and auiscd his gorso hedge for a length of about 15 chains to fall forward across tho drain, completely destroying tho hedge and blocking up the drain. It will bo neceßßary to cut the gone ofi the ground and

erect a temporary fence, and plant anotlur further from the edge of the drain, eloping the sides to relieve the overhanging Bidee. The complaint of Mr Spooner, of KuightßtowD, has reference to the flooded condition of his section and surrounding fields. The Board will have some difficulty in dealing satisfactorily with this complaint, unless the ditch on the northern side of Edgewarorood is deopened, and to do bo would be costly on account ot the quicksand, which cauße the sides to fall in unless they are timbered. However, I think the condition of these properties would be greatly improved if the Board acquired the right to olear and maintain an old ditch on the boundary line of properties extending from High Btreet to Crescent road, this would join a drain which the Board has already acquired, discharging into that on the Edgeware road. Some such drain is very necessary to keep all these properties and fields sufficiently dry in winter. At loast one public drain in this locality ia muoh. wanted. Mr F. Kelly claims £35 for part of his land rural section, taken by the drain recently cut by the Board. I would recommend rather that the Board take the whole triangular piece severed by the drain, which amounts to one quarter-acre, at the snmo price aB paid to Mr Buller — that iB, £100 per acre. I accompanied the deputation of Messrs Kruse and others, with the view of hearing their suggestions in regard to work necessary to be done to relieve their land from floods. The day after I had been there another storm ooourred, flooding their land as much as on the previous occasion which caused their complainta. I think the most feasible way of relieving this district from its excessive quantity of water would be — let. To divert the waters of the Harewood road districts by enlarging and connecting the drain which passes between B.S. 2382 and 135, 1101 and 151, as recommended by me about two years ago. Thia would divert the drainage of a very large area into the Wairarapa river, instead of allowing ifc to flow into the low grounds at B.S. 1048, 781, 1071, where it helps to fill the main drains coming from the complainants' land. 2nd, tho main drain should be widened to, cay, 8 feefc bottom width from Winter's road to north boundary of B.S. 1157 : and also widen the drain passing through 1171. It was also represented to me that the drain passing by the west side of E.S. 292, 291, to the Styx river had greatly overflowed and -discharged its surplus water towards tbo Papanui road. I think it would ho advisable to widen and deepen this drain, but I cannot tell to what extent the overflow of this drain contributed to tho floods on Messrs Kruse and Homer's land. Por widening the main drain and that through 1171, Messrs Kruse and Homer will give the land required for this purposo. The recent storms of rain have -been heavy, although not exceptionally bo. I find that the storm water sewers should be relieved in the following manner, and when that is done I think they will be found to be satisfactory for any rain storm:— lst. Tho water of the Pound road should be diverted into the old storm drain and taken to the Heathcote, the whole length of the Pound road Bhould be so diverted, cuttingoff thafc which at present flows down Colombo read south towards the South Belt. 2nd. The drainage of Addington, which flowa down the west eido of Selwyn atreet to the South belt should be taken across the belt, and continued along the west Bide of Selwyn streefc^into the Lincoln road drain; fthis should bo taken in the side channel made somewhat larger than the ordinary size, and the overflow can pass into the sewer in the Bouth belfc. The corner of the East belt and Tuam street is still subject to be flooded in heavy rain, and thin case is difficult to deal wifch, because the place is bo low that when the lery road sewer is full the gratings of the gullies at Tuam street are only aboufc 6in higher, therefore the water, to get a sufficient head to flow at all, has to rise over the footpath. When the drain road is formed, and the ditch on the north side of it cleaned out, a pipe can be connected with it, whioh would relieve this inconvenience to some extent. On the 26bh Oolombo road south was flooded at Third street, the pipe leading into fche eewer having got choked. I have ordered 15in pipes to be laid in place of the original 12in pipes. On August 26, during a heavy rain, I found that the drain in Piper's lane, Colombo road South, wos running full to suoh an extent that Colombo road was flooded. There is an old Btone culvert across the road, which ia much too small for Bueh a jlood, »lthough the inconvenience suffered by the small size of both culvert and drain afc fchis place is only occosional. On the same day I observed the flood crossing the road /it Pigeon'b lane, and directed Mr Ellis to put in 2ft Bin wooden box culverts in place of 18in pipes. These culverts, made of totara and well tarred, will last 12 years, and will nofc cosfc more than one-third of fche cosfc of conorete culverts. I observed afc the samo time that the drain through the Government workshops should be widened, as it vas causing the whole place to be flooded. On the same day I four.d fcho old wooden culvert, across the Lincoln road, at crossing of the Wilderness road drain, was broken down, causing the road to be flooded. I have written aski.ig the Sproydon Eoad Board to repair ifc. In regard to the complaint of Mr Stubbs, of want of drainage on the Ohurch property fronting Selwyn atreet and South belt; to drain this low place it would be neceseary to lay a pipe into the South Belt sower, and in my notes of tho minutes of the meeting of the Board, on August 30, 1880, I find tho Ohurch Property Trustees were to be informed tbat they moy drain in the sewer by applying to the Insj.eotor or licensees, the intention being, I presume, that they should bear the cost of the connection. The works of the main sewer and pumping station are making satisfactory progress. Mr Prudhoe wishes to have his license for connecting renewed, and I would recommend that the Board grant him a renewed license. DEPUTATIONS. After the firsfc paragraph of the Engineer's report had been read, Mr Andrew Maher again waiten upon tho Board to complain of the state of the culvert on his property in Shirley road, St Albans. The Board, after hearing what Mr Maher had to say, promised to see what they could do. Mr Brown considered that Mr Maher was asking too much from the Board. The Board requested Messrs White and Cuff, with the Engineer, to inspect the place and report to the next meeting. A deputation from tho Heathcote Boad Board, consisting of Messrs F. Jones, T. Bruce, and — Mills, waited upon the Board with reference to the drains and culverts of the district. Whafc thoy desired was a uniformity of practice as to fche maintenance of culverts, &c. ; thoy understood that In some diatricta the Board maintained culverts of a description which they did not maintain in | other districts. | The Chairman explained that the rule of the Board was to leave tho Boad Boards to maintain culverts that were suffieien*. for the drainage of fcho roads. When the Drainago Board found ifc necessary to enlarge a culvert they did co afc their own expense. Mr Jones asked if the Drainage Board did not keep their drains clear. [Left Sitting.]