288
29. The quantity of water filtered at the Tytam and Pokfulam filter beds during the past year has been 800,087,000 and 241,721,000 gallons respectively, making a total of 1,041,808,000 gallons, equal to a consumption of 14.8 gallons per head per diem for a population of 193,000 (estimated population supplied). Deducting 50,677,000 gallons supplied by meter mainly for trade purposes reduces the consumption per head per diem for domestic purposes to 14 gallons nearly.
30. In November last Messrs. A. W. and J. MILLAR were detailed to make house to house inspections of the water services and from that date 1,611 houses have been inspected, 491 of the services were found to be defective. This inspection had previously been carried out by Mr. DRAPER who had inspected 744 houses, 276 being found defective. These figures shew that there is still room for reducing the consumption of water by more careful attention to the maintenance of private services. 31. Though I have on previous occasions and do again call the attention of occupiers of premises to the importance of checking as far as possible the misuse or abuse of water, by leaving taps running and using more than a reasonable quantity for the various domestic purposes for which water is required, I most emphatically assert that a reasonable quantity of water is absolutely necessary for maintaining a sanitary condition in every city, town, village or dwelling, and to attempt to restrict such reasonable quantity would be a retrograde step in connection with the sanitation of this Colony.
32. That misuse and abuse of water do to a large extent exist is evident from the following tabular statement shewing the reduction in the consumption of water in various premises after the consumption had been ascertained by measurement and notice had been served on the occupiers to abate such excessive consumption under penalty of having the services disconnected from the waterworks.
Consumption of water per head per diem as ascertained under sections 10, 11, 12, 13 of Ordinance 16 of 1890.
Consumption during Consumption after
Consumption after
Allowance.
First Test.
service of notice.
reconnection.
No. 1,
16.5
13.8
7.0
5.7
No. 2,
49.1
23.0
8.0
No. 3,
23.0
19.5
14.1
No. 4,
29.6
16.4
11.8
9.6
No. 5,
42.5
70.8
9.3
11
No. 6,
25.9
39.4
12.6
15
No. 7,
30.4
16.0
10
No. 8,
10.0
5.77
A
No. 9,
16.4
6.35
10 10 10
No. 10,
16.27
9.14
No. 11,
27.0
14.3
8.4
13
14.1
8.6
No. 12,
This statement further shews what power the occupiers of premises have to check the misuse and abuse of water and that their failure to exercise that power leads to the consumption of a much larger quantity of water than what is really necessary, burdening the Colony with heavy expenditure in the extension of reservoirs and filtration of water.
33. Metering private services in order to check the domestic consumption was discontinued in March on the temporary introduction of the intermittent supply and was not recommenced until August.
34. A total of 1,038 houses were metered during the past year, 441 were served with notices to abate excessive consumption and 171 were disconnected from the mains for failure to comply with such notice, care being taken that in every instance a supply could be obtained from street fountains within reasonable distance of the premises disconnected.
35. The prescribed domestic quantity has now been fixed in accordance with section 13 of Ordinance 16 of 1890 for 1,752 houses, the allowance per head per diem varying from 5 gallons to 25 gallons.
36. The Honourable E. R. BELILIOS at a meeting of the Legislative Council on December the 6th availed himself of the privilege conceded by His Excellency the Governor to make a speech on the occasion of asking a question. In that speech he advocated the general use of meters and made other statements in connection with the public water supply of this Colony. As it would have been out of order either for other members or myself to have attempted to express our non-concurrence with the opinions expressed by the honourable member, I take this opportunity of placing on record that though I believe the more general introduction of meters in the cases of detached or semi-detached houses might with advantage both to the consumer and the ratepayers of this Colony be permitted; their general use throughout the native quarters of the City, where the bulk of the population reside in tenement houses and in many cases no less than three or more families occupy one floor, would not only be attended with a very large initial expense, but their maintenance and the prevention of their being tampered with or stolen, even if practicable, would be very costly.
37. It has on more than one occasion been stated that if persons pay water rates they have a right to have water laid on to their premises, and if they have not the water laid on to their premises