During the year approval was
was given by Government, and preliminary work was put in hand, for a new reservoir scheme in the Tai Lam Chung Valley. The scheme consists briefly of the construc- tion of a new reservoir about 18 miles from Kowloon, connecting supply mains to the existing waterworks system, filtration plant, a pumping station and two filtered water service reservoirs. These works will take three to four years to complete and will add about 7 million gallons per day to the Colony's water supply.
Improvements to the existing distribution system in the form of larger mains in the urban areas and a new service reservoir at Bowen Road were also put in hand, and a new repair workshop was built on the Island. Arrangements were also made to replace two of the Island's old steam pumps by new diesel and electric pumping sets.
A salt-water fire-fighting system consisting of 6" diameter mains and static tanks, fed by diesel-driven pumps, was being installed at the end of the year.
Electricity
Electricity on the Island of Hong Kong is supplied by the Hong Kong Electric Co., Ltd. The amount of electricity generated by this company
in 1951 increased by 19.47% over the previous year's output. This is due to continued house-building and other development resulting from the increase in the population between 1947 and 1950. The peak load reached a maximum of 42,000 k.w. in December, the maximum in 1950 being 36,600 k.w.
The Company's programme of expansion continues to be retarded by delays in shipment of essential plant, but one 15,000 k.w. turbo- alternator was put into commission in November, the total capacity of the generating station now being 72,500 k.w., with total steaming capacity 598,000 lbs. per hour.
The number of consumers at the end of the year was 56,637, an increase of 3,163 over 1950, and a total of 163,691,092 units was sold by the company during 1951, an increase of 26,037,025 over 1950.
Electricity in Kowloon and the New Territories is supplied by the China Light & Power Co., Ltd. Despite difficulties experienced by certain local industries in procuring raw materials the industrial demand for the company's services has continued to increase and during the year a further 291 new factories were connected. The erection of new buildings, including cinemas, hotels, private houses and blocks of flats which has continued fast has caused a noticeable increase in consump- tion, and the company has found it necessary to place on order additional plant to meet future requirements on the assumption that the demand will continue to increase.
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