Page 18 - City of Cessnock Water Supply and Sewerage Service Utility

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The average cost of fuel and power in that year (1937) to lift 1,000
gallons each 100 feet was less than a halfpenny. Namely 0.312 pence. The
average daily consumption of water per inhabitant was 47.09 gallons within the
Cessnock District compared with 55.06 gallons per inhabitant within the
Newcastle District.

Parts of Cessnock not previously connected with the Cessnock Sewerage
Scheme due to topographic features were involved in the 1940 program, in
particular Aberdare and Bellbird. A special collection well and pumping station
was constructed at Melbourne Street, Aberdare. This location had been acquired
from the Crown. See Government Gazette 31st January, 1941. On the 15th
October, 1940 Morisson and Bearby, Contractors of Carrington for £629.0.0 ($1258.00)
supplied the H.D.W.B. with a vertical single stage sewer pump for installation at
Aberdare. This pump worked at 960 revolutions per minute with a four-inch (4")
suction and four-inch (4") drive from an A.G.E.Squirrel-caged electric motor,
(Note: 415 volts, 3 phase, 50 cycles) at 960 revolutions per minute. This
pump worked at 350 gallons per minute to lift a fifty-five (55') feet level.

Because of this added volume to be handled at the Anzac Street, Cessnock
pumping station, a review of the facilities was conducted. As a result on the
7th November, 1939 the Public Works Deparment replaced the earlier and original
installed sewer pumps. Two new horizontal spindled sewerage pumps with a cast-
iron bed plate to suit the existing 30 H.P. electric drive motor were placed in
position. These pumps had been purchased from Morrison and Bearby by contract
No. 338. These pumps ran at 960 revolutions per minute with a ten-inch (10")
suction and a seven-inch (7") drive section that wokred at 1000 gallons per minute
to lift a sixty-two (62') feet level. The pumps were driven by two 30 H.P.
Crompton Parkinson, Squirrel caged, electric motors. The capacity of each half
of the sewerage area was calculated to be 2415 gallons per foot of depth.

Bellbird township also received sewerage mains, which were operated by
gravitation. Bellbird sewerage was added to the Cessnock Sewerage Scheme on
13th August, 1941.

Water supply, particularly with the proposed Kurri and Weston Sewerage
Scheme was not neglected during this year. (1941) A new eighteen-inch (18")
trunk main was added from Hedden Greta to Kurri. At Neath pumping station, a
new 160 H.P. A.G.E. Electric motor (type R.S. 8930) which worked at 1460
revolutions per minute was installed to work the units. This electric motor
weighed 1560 lbs and used fourteen (14) vee belts to drive the pumps.