LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
Water Supplies
179
Full supply was maintained throughout the year. At the beginning of 1986, there were 396 million cubic metres of water in storage, compared with 428 million cubic metres at the start of 1985. The combined storage of Hong Kong's largest reservoirs, High Island and Plover Cove, was 339 million cubic metres. Rainfall for the year was 2 338 millimetres compared with the average of 2 225 millimetres. Water piped from China during the year totalled 360 million cubic metres. The Lok On Pai Desalting Plant was not operated and continued to remain as a 'stand-by resource'. The salinity of water at High Island remained at about 12 milligrams per litre while at Plover Cove the salinity varied from 50 milligrams per litre at the beginning of the year to 46 milligrams per litre at the end of the year.
A peak consumption of 2.22 million cubic metres per day was experienced, compared with the 1985 peak of 1.95 million cubic metres per day. The average daily consumption throughout the year was 1.93 million cubic metres, an increase of 10.3 per cent over the 1985 average of 1.75 million cubic metres. The consumption of potable water totalled 703 million cubic metres compared with 637 million cubic metres. In addition, 107 million cubic metres of salt water for flushing was supplied, compared with 101 million cubic metres.
Planning studies completed in 1986 included the improvement of fresh water supplies to developments at Shau Kei Wan, Telegraph Bay, Kellet Bay and Siu Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island and at Tai Po and Tuen Mun in the New Territories and the improvement of flushing water supplies to areas in southern and eastern Kowloon.
Major studies in hand included improvement of the fresh water supply to Mid-Level Areas in Central, the provision of a fresh water supply to Sham Tseng and Tsing Lung Tau, extension of water supply to remote villages in the New Territories, and improvement of the Central Salt Water Supply System on Hong Kong Island. Design work for the Waterworks Centralised Workshop at Lung Cheung Road was near completion.
During the year, construction of the reception and distribution systems for future increases in the supply from China continued. The aqueduct supplying the western New Territories from Muk Wu via Au Tau to Tai Lam Chung was completed and put into operation in early 1986. Construction work continued at the Pak Kong Treatment Works and for the transfer facilities for supplying water to the Junk Bay New Town development and for augmenting supplies to Kowloon East and Hong Kong Island East while design work began on laying the associated eastern cross harbour main.
To improve the water supply systems on Hong Kong Island, construction of waterworks installations continued at Shau Kei Wan, Wan Chai and Pok Fu Lam with those for Shek O, Sai Wan Ho, North Point, Stanley and Repulse Bay under design. Construction work for uprating the Red Hill Treatment Works also commenced.
Both design and construction of waterworks installations progressed satisfactorily at all the new towns. Design work for Au Tau Treatment Works commenced, to cater for the new developments in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. Diversion and protection of the distribution systems in these areas for the construction of the Tuen Mun-Yuen Long Light Rail Transit System were completed.
Construction work began on laying three submarine mains from the mainland to Tsing Yi and Ma Wan and from Lantau Island to Cheung Chau to provide and improve water supplies to these areas. Design of Cheung Sha Filters was in progress. For the outlying islands, distribution systems were extended in Cheung Chau, Cheung Sha and Pui O.
Distribution systems in general were extended and enlarged to meet urban and rural demands in the territory. Salt water for flushing was supplied to most areas on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula as well as to Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and