CURVED CONCRETE WALLS FOR STORAGE RESERVOIRS. XLIX. 



CURVED CONCRETE WALLS FOR STORAGE 

 RESERVOIRS. 



By C. W. Darley, m. inst. c.e. 



[Read before the Engineering Section of the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, 

 December 19, 1900.'] 



In carrying out water supplies for small country towns it is- 

 necessary to cut down the expenditure in every way possible, so 

 as to keep the total cost within the means of the municipality to 

 pay the interest and provide a sinking fund. 



In a great many cases pumping schemes are available and would 

 be much cheaper as regards first cost, but the working expenses 

 are necessarily much higher than for a gravitation scheme, besides 

 experience has proved that country municipal authorities will 

 rarely employ competent skilled labour for looking after the engines, 

 and in consequence many valuable pumping plants may now be 

 seen in the State in a shockingly neglected condition, and com- 

 plaints are made that the machinery is unsatisfactory and will 

 not work, the sole reason being invariably due to dirt and wilful 

 neglect. 



Of late years, partly owing no doubt to the unfavourable repu- 

 tation thus given to pumping plants, country municipalities have 

 been urging the adoption of gravitation schemes. In only a few 

 instances have these been available, providing an abundant supply 

 within easy reach ; while in others, good schemes have been pro- 

 vided by going some miles away, but several towns have had 

 to be content with schemes having a very limited catchment 

 area, and are thus dependent upon occasional thunderstorms and 

 heavy showers to replenish the reservoir, and in some instances 

 this somewhat doubtful supply has been preferred to a pumping 

 scheme within easy reach 



4— Dec. 19, 1900. 



