294 



Water Supply and Small Holdings. [july, 



begin with the advantages. A combined system in the case 

 of a supply derived from underground sources implies a deep 

 well, the site of which has been chosen upon expert advice ; a 

 well deep enough to tap the most prolific water-source under- 

 lying the district to be served. Such a well would be pro- 

 vided with a deep-well pump operated by a steam,. oil, wind, 

 or suction-gas engine, which would, when not required for 

 pumping, be available for other work, such as threshing, 

 chaff-cutting, churning, root-pulping, &c. From the well the 

 water would be pumped into a covered reservoir or water- 

 tower, placed at a sufficient height above the highest point 

 to be served, to give the necessary "head" for pressure. 

 From the reservoir or tower the w:ater would flow by gravita- 

 tion through mains, branch mains, and services to the various 

 houses of the group, and also to all other desired water- 

 points for farm service ; or, alternatively, the water might 

 be pumped direct to the water-points, and the reservoir be 

 maintained in reserve. Thus the question of sufficiency would 

 be eliminated and the problem of traction resolved. 



As to purity, none of the risks present in the case of 

 separate supplies would be likely to affect either the steel- 

 lined well or the iron conduits, whilst the aeration of the 

 water in a properly ventilated reservoir would tend rather to 

 improve its chemical qualities than otherwise. 



Estimated Cost of Water Supply. — The next, and in some 

 respects the most important, point is that of cost, and as 

 this question can best be dealt with on comparative lines, 

 two estimates for the complete water supply of a group of 

 holdings having no surface-water have been prepared, the 

 first showing the cost on the separate plan, and the second 

 the cost of a combined installation for the same group, which 

 is hypothetically taken to comprise thirty small holdings 

 within a ring fence enclosing about 1,200 acres of land. The 

 volume requirements of this group, at 320 gallons per unit, 

 would be nearly 10,000 gallons per day. 



These estimates are based upon recent experience, and may 

 be accepted as quite reasonable for the purpose of com- 

 parison. 



As the cost of labour in getting water in the first case may 

 be taken to balance the cost of pumping and attendance 



