West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Friday 3 October 1902, page 5


•THE C00LGARDIE WATER; SCHEME. PROGRESS OF.THE WORKS. INTERVIEW WITH, M C. S. R. PALMER. Coolgardie, October 2. A Press representative was afforded an interview this afternoon with Mr. C. S. R. Palmer, the Engineer-in-Chief, in connetioia with the Coolgardie Water Scheme.. With regard to the progress of the w.ork, Mr. Palmer stated that: the. whole of bthe Iaing "an. jointing of. the iries. had been completed,: with the excention of.about 25 miles to the west of Coolgardie.- The 25 miles were"made iup of different sections, owing to the fa.ct"that several different gangs were employed on the work between Southern Cross and Coolgardie. The Bulla Bulling Reservoir- was intended as a. small storane reservoir for emergency purposes, and therefore,for various reasons, its construction had not been pressed forward like the other work. The pipes were filled with water up to Yerbillon, 38 miles west of Southern Cross;'. and the pumping tanks-' ivere -completed ., up to Yerbillon, while the • remaining three were half-finished, and would be completed. early in November:': The buildings and pumping stations had been practically finished up to Yerbillon, while at the three remaining, stations more.than half of the work' hd been completed. There was no doubt that a sufficiency of the pumping machinery would be erected in ample time-.-The -Coolgardie reservoir would be'completed some time in Novemo r. -:. Six miles of; pipes. could ,be filled with, water per 'day, so thattle water could not be expected atiCojlgardie in November,; as even to ill'rhe pipes between Yerbillon dnd' Coolgardie wcultakea month. He hoped to see the w?tiir in' Coolgardie ,in January. ne±. ,Six miles:of ,pipes contained about .CC000.000 'gallons of water and,this was the' capsh city of the Toorak Reservoir. The ripes, Mr. Palmer continued,'had beentc st&l to Yeribillon. Of course, they still required attention for the maintenance of. 'the line and for preventing leakages at- the •joints; and this would be a constant charge on:the work. The necessary money was, however, originally provided for' it in.the lateMr C. Y.. O'Connor's estimates. Water was supplied from the. pipes up to Yerbillon, and the consumption" daily by the Railway 'Department .was, a'the'end of Augut last,' averaging 60,000 gallons.:, The price that had been fixed by the Goveinment to be charged for the ater on. the fields was 7s. per 1,000 gallons at the reserioirs.. As the consumption: increased the price of the .water would, no, 'doubt, correspondingly, fall. If, later of, .the mines 'towns, and district generally required 5,000 00..gallonsdaily, he.had no` oubt' t"hat'. the schemo would be quite capable of'supplyiing it. The' consuinmption; of Perth and Fremantle per head per' day throughodt the year was 45'galloii. That quantity -included allthe water for.trade and town] uses. e