GooDALL. — Water Supply /or Auckland. 35 



Art. VI. — On the Frobahility of a Water Stipply being obtained for the 

 City of Auckland from Mount Eden. By John Goodall, C.E, 



\Read before the Auckland Institute, lOth November a.id Sih Decembsr, 1S73.] 

 Auckland, advantageously situated as it is on an isthmus between two fine 

 harbours, the Manukau and the Waiteinata, commanding both sides of the 

 island, is rising fast to be a fine city, and will doubtlessly some day be one of 

 the most magnificent in the southern hemisphere. In spite of its many 

 advantages however, it would always remain one of secondar}^ irapoi-tance if, 

 in its progress, it could not obtain a sufficient supply of water. Haf)pily there 

 is no lack of this needful commodity ; perhaps; for the jiresent, it had been 

 better for Auckland if so many sources of supyily had not been known to exist, 

 for then the question might have been settled, and the pure element flowing 

 through Auckland, refreshing its inhabitants, purifying its atmosphere by 

 swee[)ing away all refuse into the sea, saving life and property in the 

 extinguishing of fires, thus adding health and preserving wealth to it3 

 citizens. 



Had there been only one source of supply, probably that would have been 

 in Auckland by now, as the only delay seems to be caused by not knowing 

 which source to choose, which, after all, is a purely financial question. The 

 various sources are known to be good and abundant, therefore all that remains 

 is to find out which can be most cheaply brought into this town. The 

 Nihotupu gravitation scheme would yield more water than is required at 

 present. The western and Onehunga spiings would yield, by pumping, 

 much more than is wanted. Lake Takapuua, North Shore, has also been 

 talked of as a likely source, but the cost of the engineering woi'ks requisite for 

 bringing the water over or under the Waitemata would be a sufficient 

 hindrance for that source to be entertained at present. 



All these so\irces, excepting the Nihotupii, arise from the volcanic forma- 

 tion at and adjacent to Auckland, yet this city may at any time be scourged 

 by a pestilence or burnt to the ground for want of an available and sufficient 

 supply of watei-. These varied schemes have been from time to time pro- 

 j)ounded by their supportei's ; it is not the intention of this paper to enter 

 into their various Uieiits, but to bring under notice another scheme which 

 may prove to be as good, and which is close to Auckland, namely, from the 

 scoria and lava beds of Mount Eden. 



We all know that in the vicinity of Auckland there is a vast tract of 

 volcanic country, consisting of extinct volcanoes, tnfi' cones, and lava streams, 

 extending over twenty or thirty squai-e miles. Almost the entire rainfall over 

 this large tract of country is being stored by Nature in the porous lava rocks, 



