90 



liUls. I would, liovrever, recommend some improvements upon 

 that of simple tunnelling; but as engineering details would be- 

 out of the province of this paper, I need not deal with this part 

 of the subject at present except to point out that from the sec- 

 tion across the Adelaide plain, already referred to, it is most 

 probable that a convenient place in the Mount Loft}'^ Eange,. 

 near Adelaide, being selected at or about the level of G-len 

 Osmond, a comparatively short tunnel into the hill would be 

 required to reach the subterranean waters, and convey them to- 

 the surface by gravitation at a height of at least 800 feet above 

 the cit}^, or about lOU feet higher than the highest storage 

 reservoir of the Adelaide Waterworks. 



There would be many great advantages in obtaining supplies 

 of water by this method ; amongst others I may note the fol- 

 lowing, namely : — (1) An immense saving of cost as compared 

 with the construction of storage reservoirs on the surface. The 

 water being already naturally stored, the expenditure is only 

 required for tunnels and similar works, which may be regarded 

 as corresponding to those parts of the works for conveyance of 

 the water in other schemes, namely, the works of distribution^ 

 and the cost of the usual storage reservoirs which would be in 

 great part saved by this method. (2) This means of obtaining 

 water may also be used with advantage as a supplementary source 

 of supply in connection with storage reservoirs, which are liable 

 to either give out in extra dry seasons or be run down to such 

 a low level that the water at the bottom, containing an extra 

 quantity of solid and organic matters in suspension and other- 

 wise ready to engender impurities, is liable to become injuri- 

 ous to the public health when used for domestic purposes. (3) 

 In the case of water supplies for our cities and towns, this 

 method would avoid the danger of contamination of the water 

 in the gathering ground likely to arise from the increase of 

 cultivation, the use of manures, and the pasturing of cattle, as 

 in most cases these underground waters are very pure on ac- 

 count of having passed through the natural filtering beds of 

 stone, gravel, or sand, and also not having been rendered salt 

 by passing a long distance underground, as in the case of many 

 of our waters obtained in wells and borings on the plains 



I will only further add that, in view of the very great im- 

 portance to South Australia of obtaining additional supplies 

 of water for our cities and towns, as well as for irrigation pur- 

 poses throughout the country, and at a moderate cost — espe- 

 cially for irrigation — I hope these notes may lead to inquiry, 

 which, I trust, may eventually result in steps being taken tO' 

 further utilise our underground water supplies in our numer- 

 ous mountain ranges, which, in my opinion, are so extensive 

 and valuable. 



