Waikari, and the Kaikorai, whose ca-
pacities also will be noted in Tables A
and B. Table A gives the minimum
supply, i. e., the supply afforded by
the streams in their average low state,
without being impounded. Table B
gives the maximum supply, i. e., the
supply afforded by the streams were
all their waters, including flood waters,
impounded and stored up in reservoirs.

From these Tables it will be seen that
the various streams in the town vicinity,
without availing of their flood waters,
will serve a population of 165,629
people; while availing of their flood
waters they will serve a population of
493,515—both calculations at thirty
gallons per head per diem.

Regarding the respective quality of
the waters of these streams, I am not
in a position to afford sufficient infor-
mation, the subject requiring the aid
of a chemist to properly investigate;
but if we may judge from common ex-
perience, a comparative idea may be
formed. All the streams come out of
high ridges, and have rapid courses;
their waters may therefore be expected
to be little impregnated with mineral
matter; but as all their gathering
grounds are more or less covered with
forest, except the Kaikorai, they may
be expected in several degrees to be
tainted with vegetable matter. The
Kaikorai, issuing from the bare ridges
of the Wakari and Kaikorai hills, may
be judged to be the purest and best for
the use of the population, and the
streamlets from the town belt next to
it. The minimum supply of the Kai-
korai will be seen to be for 31,110, and
its maximum for 95,040 individuals.

The population of Dunedin being
under 2000, and probably more than
half that number so scattered and de-
tached as not to be benefitted by water
supplies, it is evident that the subject
must be considered from two points:
first, in relation to present require-
ments; and second, in relation to what
may be required in the future. On
the latter point it would appear irrele-
vant to aim at approximate numbers,
or supposed times, so much of our in-
crease and prosperity depending on
extraneous causes not to be controlled.
Considering therefore that the stream-
lets issuing from the town belt afford
at minimum a supply for upwards of
5000 individuals, and at maximum for
upwards of 18,000, at 30 gallons per
head per diem—a rate doubly ample
for a town such as this without manu-
factures—it would be from these stream-
lets close at hand, and distributed
equally in the town, that we may de-
rive at least expense, and for many
years to come, most abundantly all
requisite supply.

Regarding these streamlets, it will be
proper to remark that in their course
they do not present favourable basins
for the formation of impounding and
settling reservoirs. Considering the
above circumstance, also that their
basins lead into populous, or what will
be populous, parts of the town, it
would not be expedient to embank up
waters so immediately overhanging the
same—dangerous, if accident occur, to
population and property. All that I
would recommend, therefore, would be
works at a high level for preserving the
streamlets in their average low state,
and, connected with these, main pipes,
public stand pipes, &c. With the
above views, we will be justified in
concluding that works applied to one
of these streamlets will suffice for the
present, and that the three will serve
the town till it contains a population
of 10,000; after which, the waters of
the Kaikorai or Water of Leith might
be availed of—due consideration of
which will no doubt be given by the
Engineer at that future time.

Presuming that all that is now ne-
cessary to furnish is such general in-
formation as to enable Government to
consider the course to be adopted, I will
at this time do no more than indicate
the position and extent of the works,
together with approximate estimates of
cost, leaving the particular works that
may be ordered for more detailed con-
sideration hereafter.

On reference to the accompanying
plan,* the positions of the service re-
servoirs a b c will be noted in the
vicinity of London, Maclaggan, and Regent
Streets, from whence the main pipes
lead to the principal streets of the
town. The course that I would re-
spectfully recommend would be to
construct works at a b c respectively,
as required by the population. In the
course of years, when the population
has greatly increased, works in like
manner could be constructed at A, B,
and C, on the larger streams. The
elevation of the service reservoirs at
a, b, and c, need not exceed 150 to
200 feet, but on the larger an eleva-
tion of 500 feet should be adopted;

• The plans were attached to the manuscript,
  but cannot be given here.