Page 4 - City of Cessnock Water Supply and Sewerage Service Utility

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This 'Clark Assessment' was for a supply of one million (1,000,000) gallons
of water a day. For this to be pumped in a fifteen (15") inch pipe to
Newcastle via Buttai, with a branch supply to East and West Maitland and Morpeth.
Parlrment voted £230,000.0.0 ($460,000.00) for this water scheme.

Buttai Reservoir is within the City of Cessnock Municipality, being
located on portion No. 14, Parish of Maitland.

The "Maitland Mercury" newspaper in its issue dated 19th January, 1878
reports an investigation made by Mr. Fuller, Civil Engineer, on behalf of Greta
Municipal Council for a proposal to erect a dam. The dam was to contain fifteen
million (15,000,000) gallons to tide over any long continued drought. The water
for the dam was to be obtained from the Hunter River near Mr. Molony's house.
It was to supply Greta, Anvil Creek and Branxton. To quote from the newspaper:-

"This scheme is absolutely necessary. It is a mile and a half
to the river, whence poor children may be seen under the blazing
sun, bringing supplies for the daily wants. When the railway
engine arrives at Anvil Creek, it is painful to see the
eagerness with which a rush of water famished contestants hurry
to secure, hot from the boiler, a scant and precarious
modicum of the courted precious fluid".

Despite a good deal of publicity and political-pressuring over a very
long period and many investigatings, it was almost seventy (70) years, as will be
shown later in this history, before the very old towns of Greta and Branxton
received a permanent water supply.

The progress of the installation of the holding dam at Walcha, the
reservoir at Buttai and the pipeline was described in the "Maitland Mercury"
newspaper, in its issue dated 24th December, 1881. Part of this report
states:-

" .... The floor of the Buttai Reservoir is two hundred and thirty
(230') feet above low water mark at Newcastle Harbour. A
powerful engine pumped the water from the Hunter River through
a tunnel constructed by Messrs. Smith and Burley of Oakhampton
to the Walcha Lagoon. Pumps then forced this water to the
Buttai Reservior. The next measurements of the Buttai
Reservoir were one hundred and twenty (120) feet long, twenty-five
(25') wide and sixteen (16') feet deep.