A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Seeing the photo of the severed Gisborne main water pipeline in The Gisborne Herald was quite a revelation. It looked such a fragile and flimsy structure, strung out as it was across the landscape.
I understand that whatever caused the downfall of the pipeline is under investigation, but I wasastonished to read in the Herald article how much it was at risk from damage by trees.
“Two years ago an assessment was made to ascertain where the pipeline was exposed to damage from standing trees, with the council and JNL ultimately removing some trees deemed to be a risk to the pipeline.”
So I question the robustness of the current water supply system. I confess I have no knowledge of engineering but I do have a keen interest in Roman history.
Watching a programme on the History Channel, I learned that the million citizens of Ancient Rome used something like 10 times more water per person than we do today.
The Roman engineers managed this feat by building 11 huge, stone aqueducts to bring water to Rome.
Europe is also subject to storms, earthquakes and landslides, and the Romans chose to build their water supply system high off the ground upheld by solid, stone structures.
Why has the aqueduct water supply system been abandoned in modern times? Is it just the cost involved?
