28
REVIEW
Haven into the realms of possibility. In July 1958 Finance Com- mittee approved the appointment of Messrs Binnie, Deacon and Gourley to make a preliminary investigation of Plover Cove and Hebe Haven in collaboration with Scott and Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners, whose experience and local knowledge obtained from the construction of the Kai Tak runway would be invaluable in dealing with the problems of under-sea dams.
F
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The investigations proposed by the Consultants were approved in October 1958 and they were asked to give priority to Plover Cove over Hebe Haven as it seemed likely to be a more productive source. They reported on Plover Cove in the following May, the general conclusion being that its use as a fresh water reservoir was indeed possible. They estimated that this source could proba- bly produce a reliable yield of 55 million gallons a day at a very approximate capital cost of $348 million. In addition to this sum the Public Works Department would have to incur expendi- ture of the order of $60 million, principally for service reservoirs and distribution mains. Detailed site investigations would take time and the preparation of a full report would be necessary before Government could decide whether to go ahead with the project. Thereafter, designing and constructing the scheme would absorb from four to six years and a further two to three years would be necessary to pump the salt water out and to refill with fresh. Thus, there would be a time lag of seven to nine years before Plover Cove could be productive. The report showed that it would be premature at that, stage to decide how to bring the water into the urban areas before making further extensive investi- gation and survey. The general idea was that a submarine pipeline under Tolo Harbour would bring water from a pump house near the dam to a filtration plant on the opposite shore. Thereafter treated water would flow in pipes alongside the main road and railway to a pumping station beyond Sha Tin. It would then be pumped through Beacon Hill in a tunnel parallel to the existing railway tunnel into service reservoirs overlooking Kow- loon. From these it would merge in the urban distribution system. By the end of July 1959, Government had accepted the report and provided $4 million to enable Messrs Binnie, Deacon & Gourley to proceed with the detailed investigations. At the same time,