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Public Works and Utilities
HONG KONG's programme of public works from the formation and reclamation of land, the building of resettlement estates, schools and hospitals to the construction of roads, sewers, piers and reser- voirs is the Colony's largest single financial commitment. Capital expenditure is estimated at $593 million or 31 per cent of the annual estimates for 1966–7, which represents an increase of $31 million over the previous financial year. More than $164 million of this sum is devoted to the provision of water supplies, including work on the giant Plover Cove scheme which is designed to almost treble the Colony's reservoir capacity by 1968. Some $141 million goes towards providing resettlement and government low-cost housing.
The improvement in the water supply situation has continued. The severe water shortages which have afflicted the Colony in the past, particularly during the 1963-4 period when for nearly 13 months water was only supplied for four hours every fourth day, have been replaced by relative abundance and since September 1964 it has been possible to provide an almost continuous 24-hour supply. This change has come about not only because of above average rainfall but also because of the combined effect of increased supplies from China and of the commissioning of new waterworks installations. Ironically, rationing of water had to be introduced on Hong Kong Island for a period of 40 hours after the exceptional rainstorm on 12th June 1966, when there was widespread damage to waterworks installations due to landslides and flooding with the consequent need for rationing while repairs were effected.
As a result of above average rainfall all the Colony's reservoirs were overflowing by early July 1966, several weeks earlier in the wet season than usual, and only 13,316 million gallons of untreated water were drawn from China, Total water consumption for the year was 43,760 million gallons and this, based on a projection of the 1961 census figure for population, indicates a daily per capita consumption of 32 gallons. The average daily consumption for the