3 
The water from the Brisbane Eiver would require to be 
pumped, as the rise of the valley for 60 miles above the head of 
the tide is less than six feet per mile, and following the course of 
the channel of the river it is only three feet per mile, the 
elevation of the river bed at Colinton being less than 350 feet 
above the sea, — a head of water insufficient to overcome the 
friction of pipes of more than 100 miles in length. 
The Brisbane River is therefore unavailable as a source of 
supply by gravitation, and its waters would have to be pumped a 
height equal to the required pofint of delivery in the city, in 
addition to that necessary to overcome friction. 
Now, a fall of five feet per mile is necessary to cause the 
delivery on one million gallons per diem through a pipe of 15 
inches diameter, even when the bore is even and there are no 
bends ; and five feet per mile for 16 miles is 80 feet, while the 
point of delivery in the city ought not to be less than 200 feet 
above the river : this gives 280 feet for the water to be pumped. 
To pump 1,000,000 gallons of water 280 feet high in twenty- 
four hours requires an engine of 80 horse-power working 
without intermission. 
There is a workable seam of coal about six miles from the 
spot where the engines would be erected, and fuel might be 
obtained at about 15s. per ton ; but the quality is inferior, and 
it would require about 10 lbs. of coal per horse-power per hour, 
or about 8 tons of coal per diem, costing say £6. 
Sixteen miles of cast-iron pipes, 1 inch thick and 15 inches 
in diameter, would weigh 6,400 tons, which at £10 per ton 
delivered on the work would cost £64,000 ; laying the pipes 
would cost at least £30,000 ; engines, pumps, and accessories, 
not less than £16,000 ; making a total of £110,000. Six per 
cent, on this sum would be £6,600. Coal would cost £2,200 per 
annum ; wages and contingencies say £2,200 ; making a total of 
£11,000 per annum, or about 7d. per 1,000 gallons, exclusive of 
the cost of renewals of engines and pipes. 
The high cost of obtaining water from the Brisbane River 
indicates the importance of seeking some less expensive source 
of supply, especially as regards the contingency of pumping. 
The upper valleys of Moggill Creek, from ten to twelve 
miles to the west of the city, appear to offer some important 
advantages over any of those localities which have been under 
consideration. The distance from Brisbane to Moggill Creek by 
the road is seven miles, but from this point on the creek it would 
be necessary to ascend the valley about five miles to obtaiu 
sufficient elevation to supp ] y the city by gravitation. At this 
distance the valley of the northern branch of the creek has an 
elevation of about 270 feet, the highest point on the route from 
Moggill Creek to Brisbane being 170 feet, so that it would be prac- 
ticable to deliver the water in the city at 200 feet above the river. 
