250
(8)
TAITAM WATER WORKS PROJECT.
33. The project for bringing water from the Taitam Valley to the City of Victoria as finally decided upon and carried out during the years 1883 to 1889, under the supervision of Mr. JAMES ORANGE, Č.E., included-
(a) The construction of an impounding reservoir by throwing a concrete and masonry dam across the valley about one mile above the village of Taitam Tuk.
(b) The boring and completing of a tunnel conduit 2,428 lineal yards in length through the range of hills separating the reservoir from the Wongneichong Gap.
(e) The construction of a covered masonry and brickwork conduit and road 5,163 lineal yards in length from the Tunnel outlet to the Albany.
(d) The construction of filter beds and service reservoir at the Albany.
34. The Concrete and Masonry Dam-was 562 lineal feet in length and had a maximum height above the bed of the stream of 109 lineal feet forming a reservoir of 312,000,000 gallons capacity having a catchment area of about 680 acres. The top water level was 496.30 feet above Ordnance Datum.
35. Provision was made for the discharge of flood waters by the construction of an overflow weir and bye-wash channel to the west of the main embankment.
36. The Tunnel Conduit was for the most part constructed through hard rock and only lined for a short distance at the ends.
37. The Conduit commencing at the Wongneichong Gap with an invert level of 399.00 feet' above Ordnance Datum contours the hill for the greater part of its length, being carried over the deeper ravines by masonry and brickwork arches.
38. The conduit in cross section is rectangular, being 3'. 0" wide and 2". 6" deep, and is laid at a uniform gradient of 1 in 1,200 and has a discharging capacity of 7,000,000 gallons per diem.
39. The Filter Beds and Service Reservoir.-These are constructed at the City terminus of the conduit on the east bank of the Albany nullah, and consist of 6 filter beds having a combined area of 3,245 square yards and an open service reservoir 30 feet in depth extending over the Albany nullah having a capacity of 5,700,000 gallons. The top water level is 383.50 feet above Ordnance Datum.
40. The filtering material is composed of 2′ 6′′ of fine sand overlying 6" of stone broken to " cubes and 9′′ of rough broken stone, the drainage being provided for by 2 courses of bricks laid dry.
41. The water after being filtered is discharged into the service reservoir from which is carried an 18" cast iron pipe to the junction of the Bowen and Garden roads where it is connected with the distribution works.
42. The cost of these works was as follows:-
Reservoir at Taitam,
Tunnel,
Conduit,
Filter Beds and Service Reservoir,
$595,008
317,700
208,200
136,566
J
Total,.....$1,257,474
43. A detailed description of this project will be found in a paper written by Mr. JAMES ORANGE and published in the "Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineers," Volume C.
POKFOOLUM FILTER BEDS AND SERVICE RESERVOIR.
44. Pokfoolum Filter Beds and Service Reservoir.--The muddy state of the water delivered into the City from Pokfoolum during the rainy season now called for the attention of Government and a definite project for the filtration of the Pokfoolum water before distribution was submitted in 1889 and approved by Government.
45. The construction of these works which consisted of four filter beds, having a combined area of 1,310 square yards and a covered service reservoir 30 feet in depth of a capacity of 940,734 gallons, was at once put in hand and completed in 1890 at a cost of $37,431.
46. These works are situated on the hillside at the west end of the City immediately below the Pokfoolum conduit at a distance of 300 lineal yards west of the syphon No. 5.
47. The filter beds are constructed on the ridge and furrow system, the filtering material being composed of 2' 0" of fine sand overlying 9" of coarse sand, 9" of stone broken to cubes and 1'. 0" of rough stones. The water after filtration is discharged into the service reservoir. The level of top water is 467.75 feet above Ordnance Datum.
48. A 12-inch main from this reservoir connects with the distribution system.