West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Thursday 13 June 1935, page 21


WATER AND SEWERAGE.

MetroDolitan Works Inspected.

To make\hirnsetf thorougMy familiar with metropolitan water supply and sewerage worts now being undertaken, the Minister for. Water Sunnlv and Sewer

age (Mr. H. Mfflington) made an au-day tour of inspection yesterday extending from Buckland Hill to Maylands. Mr. MUlington showed an absorbed interest in all that he saw and he subsequently expressed pleasure at the progress being made with the various works. He was accompanied on the tour by the Director of Works and Buildings (Mr. E. Tindale), the Under-Secretary for Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage (Mr. G. Long), the' Engineer for Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage (Mr. R. J.. Dumas) and, for so much of the trip as covered works in their charge, by Messrs.1;?.1 M. Kenworthy and F. L. W. Morison (engineets). Mr. Millington was first taken to Buckland Hill, where a reservoir which has been there for some .years is being increased in size to hold 14,000,000 gallons of water, as compared with a previous capacity of 4,000,000 gallons. The reservoir is on Buckland Hill, the prominent hill between the railway line and the Swan River, from which the district has taken its name. Here stands an obelisk — a trigonometrical mark erected some years ago— which will be ^preserved for its historical interest. In the completed work it will b« surrounded by the water in the reservoir. - When completed, about the end of next month, the reservoir will supply the: requirements of the districts between FremanUe and Claremont. Below the Estimated Cost. The walls of the reservoir rise to a height of 20ft. and the new cement floor which is being laid covers an area of 8,900 square yards. The excavation work has entailed the removal of about 66,000 cubie yards of sandstone, and the em

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ployment of 110 men. The original estimate for the construction of the reservoir was £52,000, but its final cost will probably be several thousand pounds less. This may be attributed to the use of modern engineering methods, one feature in this connexion being the introduction by the engineer in charge (Mr. Kenworthy) of a travelling gantry, which enables the sandstone walls to be faced with cement continuously, and without breaks to allow the workmen to Jake up a new position. ;' Subsequently, Mr. Millington inspected the reservoirs in King's Park. In the past there were four reservoirs in. the park holding a total of 27,500,000 gallons of water, and now two of them, one with a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons and the other of 1,000,000, are being knocked into one and extended to hold another 7,000,000 gallons. The excavation work Is being carried out with the aid of a dragline excavator, which dumps the yellow sand into motor trucks for removal to the foreshore between Mill-street and Point Lewis, where it is used in building

ip the foreshore there. The 'new reservoir is expected to be completed by De:ember at an estimated cost of £35,000. &bout 50 men are employed on the work jnder Mr. F. Morison, the resident ejijineer. Sewerage Works. On visiting the sewage reticulation work proceeding in Cottesloe and Claremont, Mr. Millington was informed that such headway had been made with the work that it was expected by the end of next month a large number of premises would be able to connect up with the scheme. The work In hand will serve a population of 7,249 - and cost about £191,000. Only thickly-settled parts- of the~4i£trict are at present being catered for, and this means work in about nine out of SCsewerage areas in the district. Eventually, it is intended to serve 23,235 residents at a cost of about £600,000.Treatment works for these two suburbs are being erected at Swanbourne near the ocean and the rifle range. These will use modern processes, and the effluent, in the form of a very slightly coloured liquid, will be carried about a mile northward by pipes to the Subiaco outfall for discharge 500 feet out at sea, after having travelled that distance under the ocean bed. . Closing Down of Bnrswood. At Subiaco, immediately behind Jolimont, Mr. MUlington saw sewage actually being treated. A glass was filled with effluent caught as it left the works on the way to the Subiaco outfall, and he was mildly surprised at the degree of refinement obtained. Refinement to even a finer degree, he was araured. would result after the works had Wen .remodelled in the next month or two. The new works, together with 'a main sewer drain now being constructed via Wem

bley, the southern boundary of Lake Monger, West Perth and Mt. Lawley; will result in the closing down of the Burswood filter beds, probably by June of next year. From the Subiaco treatment works, Mr. Millington motored along the main sewer line, first stopping to Inspect shafts which are being put down where the irain has to descend more than 20 feet, rhese shafts go down to a depth up to L00 feet, and from each of them a tunnel s driven 300 feet in each direction to iccommodate pipes 4 feet hi diameter. Mong the shore of Lake Monger; Mr. Millington saw open cut work to progress, and pipes of 5 feet hi diameter being placed to position. He then followed the main drain along to FarnleyBtreet, Mt. Lawley, halting now and then to make further Inspections. The' tour concluded with a visit to drainage works to relieve the Inglewood, Maylands and Mt. Lawley districts of storm water by an outfall into the river at Maylands. Pipes 6 feet to diameter are being used for the purpose.