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extension pump at Tai Po Tau. The construction and commissioning of the extension filter beds at Sha Tin Treatment Works to provide a total output of 175 million gallons was completed.
Although hampered by the particularly wet summer, good progress was main- tained on the west main dam of High Island Reservoir. Leakage at the east sea cofferdam proved difficult to control and a programme of remedial works was under- taken to seal the permeable zones. This has delayed the project by some 12 months. Work on tunnels, intakes and the majority of access roads was completed and the construction of the main and lowland pumping stations progressed satisfactorily. The additional clarifiers at Sha Tin were substantially complete by the end of the year and the uprating of the filters to increase the capacity of the treatment works from 175 to 240 million gallons a day was well advanced. The structure of the second Lion Rock tunnel was completed and handed over to the Highways Office for com- pletion of the roadway and internal finishes. A contract was let for the construction of a 21-million-gallon service reservoir at Lion Rock.
Work on the 40-million-gallons a day desalter continued, but teething troubles on the first unit delayed its testing until June, when desalted water was first produced on a continuous basis. During the year a total of 1,569 million gallons were produced and delivered into the supply system. By the end of 1975 the plant was in an advanced state of completion.
In addition to the major water schemes, work continued on other projects to meet increasing demands in existing and new areas of development. A further scheme to extend supplies to New Territories villages in the Tai Po and Yuen Long-districts was approved and work began towards the end of the year. Planning was completed for additional water supplies to the new towns at Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin and the proposed industrial and residential development in the Tai Po and Yuen Long areas. Items for the implementation of these plans were introduced into the public works programme. In Kowloon, the first stage of the scheme to extend supplies eastwards to serve new development was well in hand, as was the provision of supplies to new development at Lai Chi Kok and Tsing Yi. On Hong Kong Island, the scheme to improve supplies to Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan was virtually completed and the scheme to provide for growing development in Pok Fu Lam was in hand.
The Waterworks Ordinance and Regulations 1974 came into operation on January 1, 1975, replacing the previous outdated version and introducing revised statutory fees and charges. On April 1, 1975, the Waterworks (Amendment) Regulations 1975 came into effect, introducing a two-tiered pricing system of charges for water com- sumption for domestic purposes. Owing to shortage of staff, no progress was made on the computerisation of the meter installation and water billing systems, and the implementation of improvements in consumer services continued to be hampered. The final report was received on the monitoring and control facilities required in the waterworks system, and recommendations for implementation were considered. Detailed studies and monitoring continued on a programmed basis in connection with examination of the safety of reservoirs and reports were received containing specific recommendations for safety measures on further reservoirs.