Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-14
BIG Water Plan
Held PRACTICAL
BY jill. ROWLAND
Continued from page oneJ

| ~ 49,
| Continued from page oneJ
in and around the waiahole and Wal.
hee gulches. -s..
fPufe Water a Boon. T. RI ...s
IL Is nothing short of revelation
ftostraVerse the completed portions OF
the main tunnel at Waiahole and OBJ
serve the innunlerable jets Of clear
sparkling water pouring through the
top and sides and flowing at rates es-
timated at fifteen and twenty-four mil
lion gallons per "a hours, from the
north and south portals respectively.
first thought of the scores of cities
that had visited on the mainland
that would scramble for an opportu-
Unity to issue the necessary bonds TO
develop an adequate and reliable sup
ply OF absolutely pure water, elevated
nearly 700 feet above and within
radius of anything like 10 miles OF
the business centers or eongested
value districts of those municipalities.
Prominent among the aims and pur.
poses of the National Board of Fire
Underwriters are the following:
To secure adequate water supplies
with improved systems Of distribution;
efficient organization and modern
equipment OF fire departments as well
as other fire protective measures; also
to encourage the adoption of its build.
I ing code providing for improved and
safe methods of construction with a
view to reducing the enormous fro
waste throughout the United States.
OF these features o. protection, the
first, namely, an adequate water sup
| ply, is OF paramount importance.
Gravity system Preferable.
It's recognfzed' that a so-ealled grav-
ity. system, ~ e.. 0ne delivering the
supply directly to the @city from the
source without the use of pumps, has
the distinction of possessing the high
Eest measure of reliability and IS pref
cradle from q fire protection viewpoint
to that of amy other type II 4
The focal board of fire underwriters
who have jurisdiction with reference
to the determination Of fire insurance
rates In these islands could doubtless
furnish valuable information as to the
saving that would be realized by the
substitution Of the present pumping
system tof' water supply with that of a
purely gravity system.
With ample water at the 700-font
elevation within 10 miles of Honolulu
ideal pressures could be readily and
continuously maintained on all parts
Of the distribution system, so as to do
away with the necessity of maintains
ing in regular service steam or auto
mobile pumping engines in the fire
department; the saving that might be
realized by putting your fire engines
IN reserve could be closely estimated
by referring to the records Of the fire
department.
separate fiish:Pressure System
-UnWise.
= In one of the water department re
ports / noted chapter devoted to a
discussion of proposed separate high
pressure fire system for the congested
value district of Honolulu; 1t has been
conclusively shown that only a few
of our largest cities are justified in
burdening themselves with the over
head expenses necessary to maintain
such system and it would be short |
sighted policy for the city of Homo
lulu to consider expanding any monies
in that direction, particularly in view
of possibilities Of obtaining sufficient
pressure for direct hydrant streams SO
as to embody practically all OF the adj
vantages of a separate high pressure
system
With the very limited time at my
disposal, it is impossible for me to
go into the detail that so important
a subject deserves, but in my opinion |
q gravity supply for the city of Homo
luiu. In sufficient quantity and OF such |
quality as is being developed in the
), alanole tunnel would prove CONNER
cially invaluable not only from a fire |
protection standpoint, but as contrib |
uting materially to the improved
health and business progress of this
community and do not hesitate to
expyess an opinion that the advan-
tages to be derived from such sup
ply would justify the expenditure of
fully $l,ooo,.
Some Possible Figures.
| understand that Oahu plantation
is now getting the benefit of approx
mately 100000 gallons of water
from the south portal of the Waiahole
tunnel, all of which is available for
use on the upper irrigating levels,
where the cost Of pumping has been
$40 per million. Fifteen mil
lion at $40 for say 800 days would rep
resent an annual saving of $4,000;
deduct $4,000 as sinking fund and
the remainder would be equivalent to
) per cent on S1,500,000 Rather an
business proposition to
say nothing of the advantages to be
derived from the superior quality of
the water as compared with that de-
rived from artesian sources.
My attention was called to the pos
sibilities of developing similar sup
ply to that of Waiahole at the head of T
Waihee ahupuaa; while the time de-
voted to looking over the surface con-
ditions was far less than. l would have
liked, am satisfied that from general
the prospects at Waihee
are fully as favorable for purposes of
development as at Waiahole, which of
IL self fnrapS mo IN ho advocate 0f |