[From Manx Sun, 12th May 1888]

PEEL WATER SUPPLY

ENQUIRY BY THE TYNWALD COURT COMMITTEE

The committee appointed by the Tynwald Court to consider and report on the application of the Peel Water Company for powers to take water from the Glen Rushen stream, sat on Saturday last, at the Keys Chamber for the purpose of hearing evidence. Deemster Gill presided and the other members of the Committee present were:- Messrs T. Fisher, J. Crellin, T.Vondy. and A.W. Moore, Mr Callow and Mr Keen appeared for the Peel Water Company, Mr Hodgson- Peel - appeared for the owners of Maye Glen, and the mill owners, with the exception of Mr Noble.

Mr Hodgson said his clients thought that the company should exhaust their present supply before they proposed to take water from anywhere else. If they had not got a sufficient supply the question was where were to take an additional supply from. To take it from Glen Rushen stream would be to injure the mill owners. and the people owning the Glen. Their proposition, therefore, was that the Company should store more water where they were, and if they had not got sufficient then, they should take it from a source that would do no injury to other people. His clients did not want money compensation but they wanted the water.

Mr Callow observed that when the Committee went to view the various sources of supply he called Mr Hodgson's attention to this matter and asked him if there was any other place he would like them to view. and he did not mention any. He thought his Honor would remember that.

Mr Hodgson : I dare say he will remember another thing I remember asking for a copy of the bill and I have not seen it to this moment.

Mr Jas. Walker. C.E.. was the first witness. He said: I have inspected the plans and sites of the various sources it is proposed to take the water from. On Monday last along with Mr Cregeen I went to Glen Rushen to take the flow of water. The flow at Sayles Mill, the site of the proposed intake, gave 1737 gallons per minute. "We gauged it above the intake to the highest mill the site of the first opposition, and the flow was 7,000 gallons per minute. There are four tributaries which I will call A B C and D. A gauged 190 gallons a minute, B 150. C 170. D 219. the total of the tributaries is 735 gallons a minute. We gauged by letting the water flow through a rectangular orifice. In the last case immediately above the higher weir we could not do that. We made three different tests which corresponded very nearly. In addition to that there is another stream goes in before getting to the second mill. We did not gauge this. The gathering ground of that tributary is 224 acres and the gathering ground of the present about 237. so that they are about the same. The gathering ground at the proposed intake is 1,120 acres. I have considered the whole question. We propose to take at present out of this stream 125,000 gallons a day.

Mr Hodgson: You are prepared to put in your Bill that you will take no more than 125,000 gallons a day ? — Mr Callow: Except by resolution of the Tynwald Court. — Mr Fisher: And you are calculating that in Peel there are 6,000 people? — Mr Callow: About 5,000.

Mr Walker: I have not seen the stream where it is proposed to take the water from in the dry season. I was requested by the Peel Water Company to inspect their present reservoir. As to raising the reservoir the question is whether the ground is leaky. If yon once commence tinkering up a leaky ground you can never make a job of it, and can never tell the expense it may be. It is a rather difficult matter. If you tried it there would be no certainty it would be successful. My figures are 120 days storage at 25 gallons per head for 5,000 people. That I am told is not an excessive estimate. I think it is very low indeed considering that we are looking forward to a few years to come, and not proposing to make water-works for this year only. The present reservoir holds about 2,000,000 gallons.

The President: Mr Walker has spoken about a leaky reservoir. Did you ascertain the extent of this leak? Because it is a very serious thing. — Mr Walker: No, but the greater the quantity of water in the reservoir the greater will be the chance of a leak. I did not go into the question as to how much of the adjoining land was tillable. There is a good proportion I should think at the Ballamoar source, but, on the other hand, very little about Glen Rushen. More land would be capable of cultivation at Ballamoar. I was asked to advice generally on the scheme, and I thought it was the best thing to go to a new source altogether. The proposed gathering ground is about 1,120 acres in extent, as against 237 at the present source. To Mr Hodgson: About 400,000 gallons a day would flow through a six inch pipe in the 24 hours. The proposed intake is 119 feet higher than Glenmaye, and Glenmaye is about 10 feet above the reservoir, so that the fall between the proposed intake and the reservoir is about 104 feet.

The President : I don't see the value of this evidence at present. — Mr Hodgson: I want to know how much water will pass through a six inch pipe connecting the reservoir and the intake. — Mr Walker : I have told you the quantity through a six inch pipe. The quantity through a seven inch pipe would be 563,000 gallons per day - Mr Callow anything about the size of the pipe, but all we are asking for is 125,000 gallons a day.

To Mr Hodgson: I was first consulted about a month ago with regard to this scheme, and at that time the scheme was all prepared, and the plans were deposited, or about to be deposited. I was called in and asked my opinion as to the proposed scheme. When Mr Callow first came to me I told him I would go and see the source myself, but until I had seen it I would not give an opinion upon it. I certainly considered the question fully. I looked at all the streams within a reasonable distance. I think Mr Cregeen has gone into most of the other sources of supply. I did not gauge the reservoir stream, but the present reservoir holds about 2,000,000 gallons. I should think it probable that ample storage could be made in the Glen at Ballamoar. But it is not only a question of storage, but the quality of the water.

— Mr Hodgson : In your opinion is there not sufficient water in the present stream to supply Peel ? — I could not answer that, because I have not gauged the stream. I have no doubt there is a good deal of water in that locality if stored. — Mr Kneen : Sometimes there is enough, and more than enough if it was stored. — Mr Hodgson : Is there not six times enough if it was stored?— I could not say-Mr Kneen says sometimes there is more than enough. The sources of Glen Rushen stream are in Barrule. The water is the same as is found in other streams. The ground at Barrule is of a peaty nature. — Mr Hodgson : I believe it is "a happy hunting ground" for germs — Mr Walker : "What sort of germs are yon talking of ?" — Mr Hodgson : Those that give rise to disease ; any sort of germs. — Mr Walker : I dare say you might find germs if you look for them. I have never seen them myself. The same conditions hold here as you will find in any other place where you wish to take water from. If you take it from the mountain it is the same. — Mr Hodgson : Do you call it a wholesome supply to take ? — Mr Walker : I have no doubt it is. It is the usual custom that is adopted elsewhere, and if unwholesome I have no doubt three-fourths of the towns in England would be in the same position. In Manchester and other large towns in England the source is just the same as this. — Mr Hodgson -. Suppose these germs were there, it would be a great deal worse in summer than in winter time ? — Mr Walker -. I believe if you swallowed all the germs on South Barrule you would not be much worse for it (laughter). I am quite convinced at the source of the present supply, there is sometimes ten times the quantity of water there that there is now. The formation of the ground is rocky, but there is plenty of room in the rocky foundation for the water to get away. As to the storage, that is purely a matter of opinion. Some engineers would estimate 90 days' storage as sufficient, whilst others would say 120. There is no hard and fast line. If Mr Pickering says 90, and 120, then we don't agree. I don't know that there are wells at Peel. I have no reason to suppose that Peel is a suitable place for artesian wells. Wells in towns are things always to be avoided if you can do without them. They are subject to contamination from sewage, &c. I should think it is quite possible to get a supply of water at some other place than that proposed by a reasonable expenditure of money, but so far as I know, there is no place in the immediate neighbourhood of Peel where they could get so large and good a supply as this. I should think as things are, that this is the cheapest and best supply that can be had.

— Mr Hodgson: Could they get it from any other source without injury to others at a fair and resonable expense? No. I don't know of any other place where they would set the same quantity and the same quality at such a reasonable price. As to the making of a compensating reservoir for Glen Rushen, that is simply a matter of money. So far as I know there is very little engineering difficulty. You might impound millions ot gallons of water.

— Mr Callow: What size of a reservoir would you require to store this water that is to be taken? Suppose yon were to take 125,000 gallons a day for 120 days that would represent 15,000,000 gallons. What size of a reservoir would be required ?

— Mr Walker : I have not gone into that. I should think it would cost £5,000 in addition to all other expense.

— Mr Moore: What is the capital of your Company ? — Mr Callow : We propose to borrow £3,000. — Mr Hodgson : And I propose to object to that. — Mr Kneen: What has that to do with you ? — Mr Hodgson : It has with the mill owners. — Mr Walker: If there are a great number of mills on the stream— say 50 mills— it would require a great deal of money to buy them out. The rental of one is £10. and the other £20.— Mr Hodgson intimated that they were willing to sell the upper mill for £280. He thought the first thing that ought to be done by the Peel Water Company was to try and come to some agreement with the mill owners.— Mr Callow : I am sure we have tried.— Mr Kneen: The ground at Ballamoar generally is not suitable for a reservoir.

Richard Pickering, Water Engineer, was next called. He said: I have been consulted by the Peel Water Company with reference to an increased water supply. I was asked to advise generally. I have examined the reservoir at Ballamoar. There is a leakage in it. I should say it would be a risky operation to attempt to stop the leak, almost as difficult as constructing a new reservoir. The leak is perhaps in the bank arising from the quicksand. It was one of the first things they consulted me about, and I advised them to let it alone. To attempt to repair the leakage the reservoir would have to be emptied in the first instance, and the cost would be as much as the making of a new reservoir- I would not advise the Company to go to the expense of repairing the leakage, as I don't think it worth the risk and expense of trying it. The risk from the leak would be greater if you raise the bank of the reservoir. I know the general nature of the glen, which is very precipitous. and there is only one place where you could make a reservoir, and then it would be at great expense and would not be advisable. The population of Peel was 3,829 at the last census, but I should say it will be 5,000 now Taking the population at 5,000, and allowing 25 allons a head for 90 days would amount to 11,250,00 gallons. The additions proposed to be made would be 2.851,200 gallons in 90 days. The present reservoir holds 2,000,000 gallons, which makes 4.851,200. Take this amount from 11,250,00 and there is a deficiency of 6,398,00, or about the largest capacity to be got out of the largest possible reservoir you can erect there. I don't think you can erect a larger reservoir there. The probable cost of providing such a storage, including the charges on land, would oe about £6,300, or if you divide 6,393,000 by 20, it gives you an average of 71,088 gallons per diem wanted from same other source, and if you don't get it from Ballamoar you must get it from some other source. I have inspected Glen Rushen and Barrule streams and taken levels. At Ballamoar there is a good portion of tillable ground. At Glen Rushen it is mountainous land above the intake, and it would be a good source of supply. There is a thin, black, mossy surface of two or three inches, but the soil is not absolutely peaty. Taking the water from Glen Rushen would not injure Glenmaye. Last summer it will be admitted was the driest summer within memory, and the streams were dried up, and last summer you had the largest number of visitors to the glen. This is a case in which I should advise compensation in money instead of a compensation reservoir.

By Mr Hodgson : I reckoned the flow last summer at 22 gallons a minute during 90 days of dry weather. There is a leakage at the present reservoir which I saw myself. On the Silverburn there are some very valuable mills, and if they are to be compensated in money it would be a very serious thing. It might be more expedient to make a compensating reservoir in one place than another, but it is a question entirely for the Company to decide.

Mr D. Cregeen said : These plans were prepared by me. I have examined the sources of the existing supply, and those from where it is proposed now to take the supply. I could not recommend the Ballamoar stream so long as it is practicable to get a supply from Glen Rushen. It would not be possible to make a reservoir at Glenaspet. I was asked to view all the sources, and the one I recommend is the one shown on the plans produced. I think it would be quite injudicious to spend money in trying to stop the present leakage. I agree with the evidence that has been given with regard to the inadvisability of raising the present reservoir.

By Mr Hodgson : I have not seen the water shut off until last season on account of the scarcity. Last year we did not take the trouble to fill the old reservoir.

Mr Hodgson here read a portion of the petition to the Tynwald Court, which stated "At the end of last summer both the reservoirs were empty." As a matter of fact one of them was never full.

By Mr Hodgson : The old reservoir when full formerly satisfied the requirements of Peel. The stoppage of the leakage would be a very difficult and costly thing, and I would not advise it to be done. I should expect to gather one-third of the rainfall over a gathering ground of 1,120 acres under the most favourable circumstances ; but last season putting it in the most favourable light you could not expect to gather more than one-fourth in summer what you would in winter.

By Mr Kneen: I cannot tell what would be the probable flow at Glen Rushen last summer. I could not possibly say where the leak in the reservoir is; in fact 1 don't know whether it is a leak or not.

J. F. Terry said: I have made an analysis of the water, and took samples on the ground when the Committee were there. I place the water for analysis in three classes. I would place the water from Ballamoar in the first-class. The water at Glen Rushen is also very good, and in the first-class.

Mr Fisher: Have you found any germs in this water? — I never examine water without looking for them. The samples taken at Glen Rushen on the 11th February and the 24th April were amost identical. After the summer is over there is generally a lot of organic matter, vegetable matter, lying on the ground, and the rain brings it down into the stream. The day the Committee inspected the reservoir the water had a greenish look with it, and this is due to the earthy matter which gets into it. The time when the least decaying matter was to be found in the water was just before the autumn.

John Moore said : I was working at the reservoir during the time the excavations were going on. I found some shifting sand, which was the cause of the leakage. I found a hole two feet below the surface of the water, and about a foot from the bottom of the reservoir.

John Collister : I was working at the excavation when the leakage was found. I think, however, there is no leakage at the present moment.

Wm. Faragher: I am one of the directors of the Company. I have seen the leakage at the point where these excavations were going on. By Mr Hodgson : The Company's capital is £4,000. We have already exhausted our borrowing powers, having borrowed £1.000. Mr Hodgson : You have exhausted your borrowing powers ? Mr Kneen : How does that effect you ? Mr Hodgson : Because where are we to get compensation from ? Mr Kneen : You will get that all right. Mr Hodgson : Where are you going to get your money from if you have exhausted your borrowing powers ? (To witness) Have you had any complaints of the scarcity of water?— Yes, last year, and the year before that. One Sunday two years ago various parties came to my house as they had none in theirs. We had the water turned off, but I don't remember it being turned off for 24 hours. The scarcity was not so great as to be without water altogether. We got a little (laughter). There are some wells in Peel, but the boats generally were not supplied from this source. John Clague said : During most of last July we were shutting the water off for 10 hours in the 24, and the whole of August. At times the supply got so bad that the pressure would not reach Mr Laughton's house, and he could not get his supply. By Mr Hodgson: This happened for two or three times during the summer. Sometimes when the water was put on after it had been turned off it was red from the corrosion with the pipes. A great deal of water ran to waste. Mr Hodgson : If they had kept it on he did not know whether there would have been near so much waste as there was. — Mr Hodgson then proceeded to call witnesses on behalf of the millowners who were opposing.

Thomas Cringle : I am one of the millers of this stream, and own one-fourth of the top one. I have known the mills all my life, and worked them considerably over 20 years. We are able to keep them open winter and summer. We can barely, at times, keep them working. Sometimes in summer we have not half the quantity of water we require to do our work. If further water is taken out of the stream it will have a tendency to stop us. At times there is barely water to keep us going. We take our water from the Glen Rushen stream. If a six inch pipe was put in to take the water away as proposed it would take the whole that came to me last summer.

Mr Kneen : All that we want is 125,000 gallons a day taken continuously at an even rate during the 24 hours. Mr Hodgson: I am taking it as it is shown on your plan. Mr Kneen: We don't propose to take so much, so that it is no use creating difficulties.

Witness : In my opinion in the summer time there will be one-fourth less water in the stream than there is at the present time. During the summer we keep the mill at work almost continually for six days a week. If water is taken as proposed it will draw the supply from our mill and bring us to a standstill. During the summer thousands of visitors come into the locality, being attracted by the waterfalls, &c. Supposing water was taken from the stream in the night time it would not do us the same amount of damage as if taken in the day time, though it would do us a certain amount of damage. It would be more convenient to us if it was taken in the night time. By Mr Kneen : We have one wheel to work the mill. A good supply of water is of considerable value to us for working the mill.

William Quayle: I have an interest in the upper mill. I know where they propose to take the water from, and if a six inch pipe is put there we shall not be able to work the mill at all. The water to work the mill is taken from the main stream. In summer time when the water is scarce we only work slowly, and with the quantity they propose to take we shall neither be able to grind nor crush. If more water is taken we shall not be able to get the mill let. It now lets for £16 a year, and I am willing to sell my quarter of the mill for £70.

Henry Quayle said : I am tenant of the upper mill, and work it. We can work mostly all the year through, but have not half enough water in the summer time as we require. If they take the water by a six-inch pipe, as proposed, it would mean a total stoppage to us. A six-inch pipe would take all the water in the stream. It would not do us much harm if the water was taken on a Sunday, and would do us less harm to take the water by night than by day.

Thos. Fargher, who had been a tenant of the mills, gave corroborative evidence.

This being all the evidence. Mr Callow said all they proposed to do was to ask for permission to lay a pipe, as shown in the plan, of six-inch diameter with sufficient intake to cover the head of the pipe ,and hereafter, if considered advisable, to run it over a filter bed. They were quite willing to be limited by the Committee of the Tynwald Court to take not more than 125,000 gallons in the 24 hours, with a reservation of power, in the same manner as Castletown, if they required more water to apply for leave of the Tynwald Court to authorise them to obtain a further supply. Alluding to the question of compensation, he said the whole amount would not come to more than £300, and he supposed the evidence given that day was tremendously in favour of Glen Rushen being the proper source of supply.

Mr Hodson submitted there had been no cause shown why this Company should have any power whatever to touch the Glen Rushen stream. He took it as a principle that before any company began to look out for a new supply they should first of all exhaust the one they had already got. Now, they had a company here which had got two reservoirs, one of which they did not choose to make use of and get it filled ready for a dry season, and the other held 2,000,000 gallons. Above this there was a site where, without any engineering difficulty, they could build a new reservoir to hold 6.000,000 gallons.

The President: For £6,000. Mr Kneen: £6,590-The President: Where are they to get the money ? Mr Hodgson : I don't know. They have exhausted their borrowing powers already. Still, the reservoir which held 2,000,000 gallons was capable of being raised a few feet so as to hold double the quantity according to the evidence of Mr Cregeen. Before they ask for powers to come to Glen Rushen he submitted they were bound to complete their works on their present ground. After that, if it was found there was a deficiency, it was quite time enough to go elsewhere, and not take water from a stream where it affected a number of private persons. The President: It is a question of convenience and cost. Mr Hodgson : I submit that they are bound to get the water out of their own property before they attack the property of somebody else, or they must show some very good reason for doing so. Have thev shown it? Here the water is running awav. They say it would be too costly, but that is not the question. You want a certain thing and you must pay for it. I am sure there is sufficient water at their present source to supply Peel. After they have stored all the water they can and exhausted their present supply, then if they have not sufficient it is time to come to Glen Rushen They say the population of Peel is 5,000. That is the first time I have heard it.

Mr Kneen : You cannot prove the contrary.

Mr Hodgson : I submit that everything this Company wants, supposing they don't touch Glen Rushen at all, can be done by taking this water on a Sunday.

The President: What size of a pipe would it take to convey this water on a Sunday ?

Mr Kneen : They would have to store it during the week, or it would not be there to be taken.

Mr Hodgson : They would have to store it in their own reservoir.

The President: We'll give you a six day's licence (laughter).

Mr Hodgson : So far as the farmers are concerned it would not affect them whether taken in the night or day, but so far as the mill owners are concerned it would affect them more to take it in the day time than at night. The continuous flow is what we are objecting to. There are two ways of taking this water. We have a right to ask that it shall be taken in a manner that shall be least dangerous to us. and if it is taken at night it will be the least dangerous. It is only a question of turning the water off and on. Any person living in the neighbourhood could do this for 2s or so a week.

Mr Fisher: That would remove your objection altogether.

Mr Hodgson: Not altogether. We don't wish them to touch the water at all if they can find sufficient storage where they are. We don't wish them to come to our ground until they have exhausted their supply. If they cannot find sufficient water let them come to us in the way that will do us least harm. I think the Committee will agree with me that where people's interests are attacked, and where you are bound to appear for the purpose of protecting those interests, costs should be allowed.

Mr Kneen intimated that it had not been done before.

Mr Hodgson : I beg pardon, it has been done. It was done in the Port Erin case.

Mr Kneen : Certainly not.

The President: Costs have never been allowed on any Committee that I have sat on, and I think I have sat on every Water Committee.

Mr Kneen: It might be done by agreement.

Mr Hodgson submitted that there was nothing unreasonable in asking for costs. It did seem to him unreasonable that a Company should try to take other people's property by force, and if they had to come there to protect their own interests, they should have to pay their own costs. There had been no attempt made to approach them, and they had to come there to find ont what sort of a Bill they were going to ask for. He thought, if leave was given to introduce that Bill, it ought to be on condition that the costs of the opposition were paid.

Mr Kneen : As to the question of costs, I have never known them to be granted, and, I believe, the practice is against it. In all the water and railway Bills I have known of, I have never known the costs to be allowed. In this matter they had not attempted in any way to come to terms with us. We have only said we required a certain quantity of water, and have acted straightforwardly all through. My learned friend says we have tried to take water by force ; but they are in the same position as others, and will get compensation in money, and if any damage is done to them in any way, they will get paid for that damage. What is the value of their property? The rent of one mill is £14, with cottage, and then you have Cringle's mill at £30, which makes £41 a year in all. We are only asking for 125,000 gallons a day, and instead of having this we are asked to go to the expense of £0,500 in laying pipes, &c, and we are also asked to make a compensation reservoir. Would that be a reasonable position to put any Company in ? Mr Pickering has told us it is only a question of considering the inhabitants on the stream, and is this a case in which we should be driven into all this expense ? I think the scheme is one which will not interfere with the mills in the Glen, and it is one in which the Company has shown every desire to deal as leniently as they possibly can, and so save as much as they possibly could the pockets of the parties interested, and I think it is one which ought to meet with the approval of the Committee.

Mr Cregeen having given evidence as to the estimated cost, the enquiry terminated.

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