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10. The information obtained from No. 3 Well creates serions doubts as to the reliability of that derived from No. 2 and operations are now in progress to verify the latter as completely as possible. It is of course possible that No. 3 Well has penetrated some hole in the rock, which, if it resembles that appearing in the bed of the stream higher up the valley, must be of a very rugged and irregular character.
11. Attention has been turned to the two other sites, marked Nos. 2 and 3 on the accompanying plan, and operations are in progress at both of these, but it will be some time before they can be reported upon.
12. As it appeared obvious from the recent results of the trial works that a lengthened period must elapse before a scheme for the low level dam could be definitely prepared, submitted and carried out, it became necessary to consider what could be done by way of a scheme which would enable this interval to be tided over and at the same time would not hamper or interfere in any way with the carrying out of the former.
13. After full investigation, I have come to the conclusion that a dam on site No. 4 of Mr. COOPER'S 1896 Report, but of somewhat greater height than he re- commended, would afford the most ready and economical means of doing this, and I now forward you a copy of a letter which I have addressed to Government deal- ing with this subject and with those items of the complete scheme which are independent of the site of the low-level dam.
14. I may here explain that, as a temporary expedient, a pumping engine. capable of raising half a million gallons per day, which was obtained locally, has been erected immediately below the junction of the streams, at X on plan, a small dam capable of containing 14 million gallons having been constructed at this point, and a rising-main laid to the Tytam Gauge Basin. This will render available the dry-weather flow of the streams until the large engines are erected.
15. My letter to Government contains the necessary information and estimates of the various works proposed to be undertaken, and I trust that the proposals therein put forward will commend themselves to you. I attach small sections of the dam on Mr. COOPER'S No. 4 site (tracing A) the position of which is clearly shown upon the general plan of the works now forwarded. The natural drainage area amounts to 470 acres of which 210 acres lie about the Tytam West catchwater supplying Tytam Reservoir. The drainage of a large area situated entirely outside the present Tytam Drainage Area can be intercepted by catchwaters constructed along the southern slopes of the hills beyond the head of the valley.
16. Having given you a full account of what has been done, I will now deal specifically with the points raised in your letter under reply.
17. Pumping Station. You will observe that on the plan now submitted, I have altered the position of the Pumping Station and the question of arrangement of the buildings therefore requires to be considered in relation to the new site. The reasons for making this alteration are referred to in my letter to Government, and I may add that the small bay situated between the site originally proposed and that now selected will in all probability be filled in and reclaimed with the material excavated from the site of the low-level dam, thus forming a useful area of flat ground in proximity to the station and doubtless producing an improvement in the sanitary condition of the district which bears a somewhat unenviable reputation on
account of malarial fever.
18. The disposition of the buildings themselves will be as shown on the at- tached tracing marked B in which due provision is made for further extension of engine and boiler power on the lines you suggest in paragraph 5 and as recom- mended by Messrs. TANGYE, viz., an ultimate plant of 3 sets of 2 million gallons capacity, in addition to the two sets of 14 million gallons capacity now on order.
19. I think there should be no difficulty in arranging the boilers to the south of the engires and carrying the common main flue out in an casterly direction to the chimney.