1856-7.
VICTORIA.
MELBOURNE SUBURBS.-WATER SUPPLY.
REPORT
ON THE
SUPPLY O:F 'VATER TO THE SUBURBS OF MELBOURNE,
"WITH ESTIMATES OF THE PROBABLE COST.
Presented by Mr. Duffy to the Legislative Asaembly, and ordered to be printed 28th Apl'il, 1857.
ll»
JOHN
A.-No. 58, a.
~'ERRES,
:allt~ot:if!l
:
GOVERNMENT PRINTER, MELBOURNE.
REPORT.
Commission of Sewers and Water Supply~ Melbourne,
Engineer's Office, February lOth, 1857.
To THE ColrMISS.IoNERS oF SEWERS AND WATER SuPPLY.
GENTLEl\il<lN,f!i:..
In accordance with your directions instructing me to lay before you a general plan
for supplying the suburbs of the city with water, together with an estimate of the probable
cost, I beg to state that I have again carefully considered the subject, and ~hat I do not see
any reason to induce me to depart from the original plan laid out by me prior to the
commencement of the Yan' Yean Works.
In that plan I laid down one main extending to the western portion of the city (now
laid along Queensberry-strcet) of a sufficient size to supply the whole of North Melbourne,
Flemington, the Moonee Ponds, Williamstown, and, if necessary, Geelong.
A second main along Spring-street (now laid) of a sufficient size to supply not only
the eastern portion of the city, but to allow of its being carried along Flinders-street and all
the wharves to work hydraulic engines, cranes, and hoists, and to supply Emerald Hill and
Sandridge.
.
.
A third main along Victoria-parade (now laid as far as Smith-street) of a sufficient
size not only to supply FitzRoy Ward, but East Collingwood, Richmond, South Yarra,
Windsor, Prahran, St. Kilda, Elsternwick, and Brighton.
In addition to the precaution taken of making each main of sufficient calibre to allow
for extensions, provision has been made on the line of main pipes between Y an Y ean and
Melbourne (by laying down branches at intervals varying from half-a-mile to a mile) for
supplying the various townships on the line, and I am convinced that Preston, Northcote,
Pentridge, and Brunswick can be supplied from your main for a very small sum.
In the extension of· the works it will however now be necessary to consider what
districts are to be supplied from Y an Yea:1 and what are not. If, for instance, Gcelong and
Williamstown (or either of them) are to be supplied from that source, it will be necessary to
consider that the continuation of the western main ft•om Howard-street must be made of such
a size as to meet the requirements of the case ; and in the estimates appended for the supply
of North Melbourne I wish that it should be understood that I have considered what would
be the cost of a main sufficiently large for the supply of North Melbourne, or more properly,
that portion of _it known as Hotham Ward, and have set that dovm as the sum properly
chargeable against Hotham Ward; though, of course, if either Williamstown or Geelong be
supplied from the Yan Yean reservoir, the cheapest plan would be to make the continuation
of the western main beyond Ho ward-street of an increased diameter rather than to lay down
a separate main.
,
A separate Commission having been appointed for the purpose of considering what is
·
the best and cheapest plan of supplying Geelong with water, I do not consider it necessary
that I should here enlarge on the subject of the supply of that town, further than that I
still hold the opinions expressed by me upwards of two years ago, i. e., that Geelong might
be well and cheaply supplied from Yan Yean, and that the laying down of waterpipes along
the Geelong Railway would, in addition to supplying Geelong, very much improve a large
district now indifferently supplied, and by inducing persons to settle along the line be the
source indirectly of considerable profit to the shareholders, to say nothing of the important
fact that Geelong could be much more cheaply supplied from this source than any other.
With regard, however, to the advantages to be derived from the use of the water as
a motive power, more especially in such cases as those where it may be made largely available
4
without. running any portion of it to waste, as would be the case were the eastern or Springstreet main extended down Flinders-street and along the wharves, I am of opinion that too
much can scarcely be said.
I simply however at the present moment content myself (having entered upon this
subject at greater length several years ago) with stating, that I propose to eoritinue the
Spring-street main d0wn FEnders-street, to work a large number of hydraulic cranes, hoists
and engines, and to convey the water after having been used as a motive power, by a return
main, over the Yarra, on the Railway Company's proposed new bridge (for the use of which
arrangements might doubtless be made) to Emerald Hill and Sandridge.
The population of Emerald Hill at the present time is alJout 6,500, and of Sandridge
about 2,500, to which should be added a considerable )Dargin for the extension of each, for
which I have allowed in the,estimate !lnnexed. By the third main (if continued), i.e., that
passing down Victoria-parade, the extensive and important -districts of East Collingwood,
Richmond, South Yarra, Windsor, Prahran, St. Kildl.\., Elsternwick and Brighton, can be
SJ.Ipplied ; and I would urge upon your Board the great desirability of extending your
operations in this direction.
·
The superficial area and population of each of these distric.ts is very great ; . and I
3;m of opinion that the period has now arrived when it is necessary to consider the wants of
each and all of them.
·
With regard Lo East Collingwood and Richmond, the course to be pursued is quite·
clear, but on crossing the Yarra a difficulty will arise, inasmuch as the late Council passed a
Bill granting to a certain Company styled the "South Yarra Water Works ComP,~ny,';>
certain rights and privileges. With regard to this Company I am of opinion decidedly, that
sooner or later the district supplied by it must receive its supply from your Board, and the
question will then arise, can your Board supply that district without buying up the interests
of the shareholders constituting this company? .If .not, I believe that the sooner thos!7.
interests are bought up the better· will it be for the community, or at least for that portion of'
it affected by the operations of the South Y arra Comprtny.
,The populati01i residing at South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor,, and St. Kilda, now .
depending entirely upon this Company or the rainfall for their supply of water, may be·
estimated at 22,000 perSOI{S at the present time, and there can be little doub~ that this
population will rapidly increase, so that it has now become a matter of importance to consider
whether this large population shall continue to derive an insufficient and unsatisfactory
supply from the South Yarra Water Works Company, whether that ·Company shall be
induced to extend their operations, or whether your Board shall take such mea.ns, "[>y the
·
sanction of the Houses of Legislature," to effectually supply these districts.
. I am myself firmly convinced that an extension of the gravitation. system from the
Yan Yean source is infinitely the. cheapest and best means <?f supplying all the suburbs of
Melbomne, as well as Williamstown and Geelong. ·No other plan could by possibility be
brought forward for the supply of the suburbs of Jliielbourne with water at the same pre2sure
and in the same volume at anything like the cost ; for supposing, for example, that in the
centre of Prahran borings were taken for the purpose of ascertaining if an Artesian Well
could be found-supposing fqrther, that the first bore was successful, and that the water rose ·
to the surface of the ground-and in five cases out of six in Artesian WeHs the water does.
not rise to the surface, still machinery would be required for the purpose of raising it to. a
sufficient elevation to give a satisfactory column or pressure, and a tank or stand-pipe
·
would be required.
Moreover, having had some experience respectin~ Artesian Wells, I am enabled to·
state positively that there i~ scarcely any. work in which so many r~eks are run and where
there ·are so many cl1ances of del!.y and fatlure.
'
,
The cases of Grenoble and Southampton may be cited amongst many others; and as
I believe an·attempt was made to find an A1;tesianWell at Toorak-the cost of that attempt.
of one bore might, if. generally known, be the means of enabling the public to judge of the
value of Artesi~m Wells in this Colony n,s a means of supplying districts with water.
In some feiv cases they might be found to be successful, but in very few-for in
addition to the great expense w11ich I haye seen la,tely puiDicly put down at a less figure per
foo~ than would pay for the piping at the manufactory, and in addition to the great risk of
having to make several unsuccessful bores before the water is obtained, the surface of the
water ia :1~1 ·\rtcsian Well is liable in ,a season of drought to sink lower every day, and
there have been instances where the water has absolutely disappeared in a single night.
I have simply alluded to the subject of Artesian Wells as at the present time there
appea1·s to be .an impression on the minds of many . Colonists that it would be very. desirable
.to endeavor to supply several districts with water by such wells.
In conclusion; I wish to remark. that the following estimates are sueP, as I feel convinced are sufficient to execut€1 the works· but as mv calculat~ons are based upon the
assumption that the Government . maps supplied to I!lC a~re correct, " which I believe .is the·
case," some little variations might be found 'requisite in getting out the working drawmgs.
5
I would also observe, that I have not considered it necessary to carry pipes through
every street in East Collingwood, Richmond, Prahran, or St. Kilda, but have made such
provisions that subsidiary mains can be laid down at some future time when the population
has increased to such an extent as to render. such a course desirable.
The first estimate is for the cost of laying pipes to complete the reticulation in Smith
and Hotham Wards, and in this estimate the cost of the main along Queensberry-street,
west of Eoward-street, is only put down as what would be sufficient supposing nothing
further than Hotham Ward is to be supplied from it. The other estimates are sufficiently
explanatory.
·
I remain, Gei).tlemen,
Your obedient servant,
M. B. JAOKSON,
Engineer•
.A.-No. 58, b.
'.•.
·.;
..··
ESTIMATES~
ESTIMATE No. I.
For Pipes for the completion of the reticulation in Smith and Hotham Wards.
15,400 yards, at an average of I cwt. per yard, = 770 tons, at' £10 15s., laid down in tlte
streets
•••
...
...
•••
...
•..
£
$,
d.
8,277 10 0
Laying andjointing 5,200 pipes, including lead, &c., at 7s.
1,820 0 0
Fire-plugs, bends, branches, screws, valves, &c.
1,200 0 0
Main along Queensberry-street, from Howard•street to Dryburgh-street, 900 yards, averaging
2i cwts. per yard,
ll2i tons, at £10 15s., laid down in the streets
1,209 7 6
Laying and jointing 300 J:lipes in main, including lead, &c., at I Os.
150 0 0
12,656 17 6
Add for incidental expenses
1,265 0 0
------£13,921 17 6
See " Report " for explanation.
ESTIMATE No. 2.
For continuing a Main down Flinders-slreet and Wharves, to work Hydraulic Engines, Cranes, and Hoists, and to
supply Emerald Hill and Sandridge.
s. d.
£
2640 yards lineal of 10-inch pipe, extending from Spring-street to the
western extremity of the Australian Wharf, at 2i cwts. per yard = 330 tons
1760 yards lineal of 9" return to Railway Company's bridge, at 2 cwts.
per yanl, ...
...
=
176 tons
7040 yards lineal ·of mains for conncxion between the bridge over the·
Y arra and Emerald Hill and Sandridge, averaging l! cwt. per yard = 528 tons
1034 tons, at 2l5s.
u,ooo yards of reticulation pipes in Emerald Hill and Sandridge; at 1
=· 550 tons, at 215s.
ll,l15 10 0
1,910 .o 0
Laying andjointing, say 3,820 pipes, including. lead, &c., at lOs;
cwt.. per yard,
5,912 10 0
Laying and jointing, say 3,670 pipes, at 7s.
1,284 10 0
Fire-plugs, bends, branches, screws, valves, stand-pipes, &c.
2,000 0 0
Incidental expenses, 10 per cent. ...
22,222 10 0
2,222 5 0
£24,444 15 0
Hydra:ulic cranes, engines, hoists, discharging gear, &c., extra.
N.B.-It is probable that on minute investigation something might be saved by crossing the river lower
down than the Railway Company's bridge ; but until something definite is decided as to whether the bed of the
river itself will be interfered with, I do not consider it \vould lie safe to estimate for taking pipes across the
rive(otherwise than on the prop?sed new bridge.
8
ESTIMATE No. 3.
Estimate of the cost of supplying East Collingwood, Richmond, South Yarra, Windsor, Prahran, St. Kilda,.
Elsternwick, and Brighton.
Estimated population of East C<;>llingwood
10,000
Ditto
10,000, -
ditto
Hichmond
Ditfo
ditto
South Yarra .•• ·
Ditto
ditto
Prahran
Ditto
ditto
Windsor and St. Kilda
Ditto
ditto
Brighton
]22,000
4,000
46,000
ESTIMATE.
From the intersection of Smith-street and Victoria-parade along Victoria-street to the
intersection with Church-street;
~;hence
along Church-street to the bridge across the
Yarra; thence along Church-streE't to junction with. the-Brighton-road; and.thence
along Brighton-road to the junction with Dendy's Special Survey, a distance of 12,650
yards, more or less, requiring 1,420. tons of pipes, "more or less," at 23os~
Laying and jointing 4220 pipes, more or less, including lead, at Us.
16,330 0
••.
2,321
0
0
0
Reticulation in East Collingwood, as pe'r plan, including stand-pipes
6,000
0
0
Reticulation in Richt~ond, as per plan, ·including stand-pipes
3,000
0
0
Reticulation in South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, and St. Kilda, as per plan, including
stand-pipes
8,000
0
0
Retic'Jlation in Elsternwick and Brighton, as per plan, including stand-pipes, &c....
1,000
0
0
£36,651
0
0
3,665
2
0
£40,316
2
0 '
Add for contingencies, 10 per· cent.
ROUGH ESTIMATES', No.
~.
£
s. d.
soo: Or 0'
Probable cost of supplying Prest.on ...
Probable cost of supplying Northcore
'•••
Probable cost of supplying Pentridge and Brunswick
1,500
0
0
4,000
0
0
£6,300' 0 .O··
------
.By .Au!:hority:
JoHN FERRES,
Government.l'rinrer, Malboarne.,