LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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The distribution system was extended and enlarged to meet urban and rural demands in the territory. Expansion of the distribution network to supply remote villages in New Territories continued. Salt water for flushing was supplied to most areas on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon peninsula as well as to Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and Tuen Mun in the New Territories.
Several mechanical and electrical installations were commissioned during the year. These included the Harbour Island Pumping Station, Harcourt Road Pumping Station, Sai Ying Pun Pumping Station and Chai Wan North Pumping Station and four village-supply pumphouses. The pumping stations at Garden Road, Mount Parker Road and Stanley Mound were uprated to improve supply to these areas. A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was commissioned to monitor and control major installa- tions in the system of water supply from China. Studies for the provision of Regional Monitoring Centres and further SCADA systems continued.
A new consumer enquiry centre was opened in Shau Kei Wan, joining the existing centres in Kwun Tong, Stanley, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, Tai Po and Sai Kung. The network continued to prove successful and plans are in hand to extend it throughout the territory.
The operational functions of Water Supplies Department were successfully regionalised Planning of new offices and depot facilities for the four Mainland regions continued during the year. Construction of the new office for Hong Kong and Islands Region is underway.
Port Works
Several major projects were completed by the Port Works Division of the Civil Engineering Services Department (CESD). These included a slipway and seawall at Tai Lam Chung for a Marine Police Base, an extension to the existing ferry pier at Cheung Chau, an intake culvert for Cha Kwo Ling Saltwater Pumping Station, and some 950 metres of seawall and reclamation at Telegraph Bay for residential and general development. In addition dredging work was carried out at the Ap Lei Chau East Reclamation to provide marine access to boatyard sites, at the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, and also in the Northern Fairway of the harbour. Port works projects in progress include three piers and a seawater pumphouse for the Western Wholesale Market, 1 100 metres of breakwater for a new typhoon shelter at Shau Kei Wan, phase one of the reclamation at Ap Lei Chau North, reclamation behind Kwai Chung Container Terminal No. 6 to provide a backup area for the Container Port and at Hung Hom Bay involving approximately 800 metres of seawall and construction of two ferry piers.
Geotechnical Control
An important function of the Geotechnical Control Office (GCO) of the Civil Engineering Services Department is to exercise control over the geotechnical aspects of public and private building and civil engineering works in the interest of public safety. They made checks on 4 586 design proposals in 1988. Landslip preventive work was also carried out requiring the expenditure of $68 million under the Landslip Preventive Measures Programme. Staff responded to calls for advice relating to 154 landslips and related incidents. Advice was also given to government departments on geotechnical aspects of 229 capital works projects.
The existence of cavities in marble bedrock in the north-western New Territories could pose problems for some building works in the area. As part of the Hong Kong Geological Survey, the GCO has initiated a major geological mapping project aimed at locating marble bedrock. The first of a series of 1:5 000 scale geological maps was produced in July 1988, for the Yuen Long town area.