227
The total quantity pumped to the Hill District was 15,318,000 gallons, equal to an average daily consumption of 41,967 gallons or 20.74 per head for a population of 2,023. The population taken includes 427 workmen employed in the erection of new buildings.
The number of meters now in use in the City is 273 and in the Hill District 119.
The waters of the streams intercepted by the new or west catchwater have been delivered into Tytam Reservoir since the 8th November.
The usual tabular statements showing the monthly consumption, rainfall, &c., are given in appen- dices A, B and C, and diagrams showing the hourly consumption during the course of the day in appen- dices D, E, F and G.
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New services have been constructed and existing ones repaired to the number of 428.
The services of 2,417 houses were inspected during the year; 367 of these were found defective, but were repaired after the usual notices had been served.
Gas was introduced into the three Motor Houses in place of kerosene lamps in December.
12. Maintenance of Waterworks, Kowloon.-A constant supply of water has also been maintained in the case of Kowloon and the results of analyses made from time to time have been entirely satisfac- tory. The mains were extended to Mongkoktsui in August last. Owing to the increasing consumption, it was found necessary towards the end of the year to provide additional boiler-power and this has been done provisionally by utilizing a portable boiler which had been used in connection with the construction of Tytam Waterworks. The total quantity of water supplied was 66,600,000 gallons, equal to an aver- age daily consumption of 182,466 gallons or 7.57 per head for a population of 24,115 for all purposes. Deducting trade supplies, which amount to 13,435,000 gallons, the average consumption per head diem is reduced to 6.04 gallons.
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The number of meters now in use is 62, all supplies being metered except those obtainable from the public fountains. It has been considered prudent, in view of the limited nature of the supply, to provide for the requirements of the inhabitants of the Chinese villages by means of public fountains only, of which there are now 88 fixed throughout the Peninsula.
Particulars of the monthly consumption, &c. will be found in appendix H.
New services have been constructed, or existing services added to or repaired, to the number of 37. Gas was laid on to the Pumping Station in December,
13. Maintenance of Waterworks, Shaukiwan.-Though a supply of water had been laid on to some of the public fountains as early as June, 1896, it was not until the beginning of 1897 that the works were completed. A constant supply has been maintained since their inauguration. Under an arrange- ment with Messrs. Blackhead & Co. an extension of the water main has been carried out in order to bring the supply within reach of their Soap and Soda Factory.
Water has been laid on from the mains to the Police Station and the Market, both supplies being metered.
14. Maintenance of Waterworks, Aberdeen.--Filtration of the water supply to this village was begun in May, 1897, and has since been steadily maintained. The works existing prior to that date were of a very limited nature, consisting only of a main and two fountains, which were provided in 1893 when the reservoir for the Paper Mills was constructed.
Three services have been laid oa in the village, viz., to the Paper Mills, the Police Station and the Docks; each supply is metered.
15. Maintenance of Sewers.--The various sewerage systems in the city and villages have been satis- factorily maintained and have not required any exceptional expenditure, With the advance of the Reclamation Works it has been possible to construct another of the outfalls for the western district of the city. There now remain but two of these outfalls to be constructed.
16. Lighting, City of Victoria and Kowloon.-The respective contracts with the Gas and Electric Companies have been satisfactorily fulfilled. The re-arrangement of gas lamps and introduction of incan- descent burners throughout the districts of the city still lit by gas are making steady progress. On the 31st December for the lighting of the city there were in use 75 electric arc lamps, 373 gas lamps fitted with ordinary burners, 297 gas lainps fitted with incandescent burners and 10 special gas lamps on public wharves. A gas lamp fitted with two incandescent burners has been erected at the upper tramway ter- minus where its services are of considerable benefit on dark or foggy nights.
In Kowloon, the whole of the street lamps, numbering 164, have been fitted with incandescent burners and the lighting has been extended to the village of Mongkoktsui. The public wharves are lit by two special gas lamps.
A new contract, extending for a period of 5 years, was entered into with the Gas Company in July last.
17. Maintenance of Public Recreation Grind.A considerable portion of the extension recently made to the Recreation Ground was turfed over during the rainy season and so rendered available for use towards the end of the year. The road which divided the extension from the original ground is in course of removal and will be supplanted by a narrow path formed at the level of the surrounding ground surface, thus making the whole area continuous as far as practicable on account of the Race Course.