WRIGHTSON — WATER SUPPLY. 
261 
expense of constructing new works as they were rated heavily 
enough, Well mark the result. Another outbreak of typhoid 
fever has occurred. There have been over 500 cases in a small 
town and the loss caused to the people in the town by loss of 
business, owing to the epidemic, has been estimated to be more 
fan the entire cost of new works would have been. 
As you are aware the unsatisfactory’ condition of the water 
supply of this city is receiving the attention of the Government 
and steps are being taken both to augment the supply and to 
obtain the water before it has had a chance to be contaminated. 
Progress, as I before remarked, may appear very slow but 
progress is being made with the examination of the Diego 
Martin Valley with the object- of obtaining water from it, 
wings aggregating many hundreds of feet have been made, the 
quantities of water are being measured and in due time I hope a 
satisfactory scheme will be evolved. To be as brief as' is possible, 
die present lines upon which steps are being taken are as follows. 
It is proposed to collect at the head of the Diego Martin Valley 
tie water flowing down the several streams by means of sinking 
w ells or driving headings through the water bearing strata 
which undoubtedly lie at the head of the valley and into which 
the Blue Basin and Cascade streams percolate. The exact 
Method to be adopted cannot be fixed until more definite in- 
formation of the underlying strata is obtained, and borings are 
wing made with this view. If these borings prove, ^ and I have 
?° doubt they will, that there is a large body of water (the 
borings already taken shew there is a great deal of water and 
the Prospects are exceedingly good), a very pure supply will be 
available therefrom. The Diego Martin works being settled 
JJPou and completed, attention will then be directe to t e 
-uaraval river. It is intended eventually to take the water 
directly from the springs on Moka estate before it cam be con- 
fuminated— unless, however, steps are taken for the co ec ion o 
»«« flowing into the river below Moka there will be some 
duRinution of the quantity obtainable from this source, for 
“^' be self-evident that the nearer to the source of astmn 
* ater is taken the less will be its volume, ^he g.eat ^ 
however, will be in the purity of the water as it wil ' ea ™ 1 
'onsumer directly from the underground sources ot the spnn s . 
I should like to make it clear that it is not anticipated^that 
®°re than 3,000,000 gallons per day of P uie " , Thore 
obtainable in the dry season from these sources of supp ^y. . D 
* * mistaken impreLon that there is an enonmm* amount^ 
Water m the two rivers of Diego Martin an d ^ar* antity 
ft °t so. Actual measurements have been a 
