175
The flushing tank mentioned in the third item is the one whose construction was recommended by Mr. CHADWICK in his Report of the 13th May, 1902.
After a vain endeavour to obtain a site, first under the Parade Ground and subsequently under a corner of the Cathedral compound, it was decided to con- struct the tank behind the Volunteer Headquarters. It has a capacity of 6,000 gallons, is filled by means of a special pipe with water from Albany Nullah, and is capable of being discharged either into the main sewer extending eastwards to the outfall at Ship Street or into the one extending westwards to the outfall at Queen Victoria Street.
A sum of $6,624 was expended from the vote upon the construction of con- nections to the drains of new buildings.
39. Maintenance of Water Works, City and Hill District. The year opened with the intermittent system of supply in force, recourse having been had to it on the 1st November, 1902. The quantity of water in the storage reservoirs, which, on the 1st January, amounted to 293 million gallons, dropped to 861 millions on the 27th April, when rain practically put an end to the dry season. Constant supply was restored on the 7th May and was maintained until the 21st December, when it was deemed expedient to again resort to intermittent supply, Pokfulam Reservoir having ceased to overflow on the 26th September, Wongnei- chong on the 2nd October, and Tytam on the 24th October. The two periods of intermittent supply comprised 137 days, as compared with 205 days during 1902 giving 228 days of constant supply as compared with 160. This result, though principally due to the incidence of the rainfall, was contributed to by the installation of temporary pumping plant in the Tytam Tuk Valley and by the Tytam Bye-wash Reservoir being sufficiently advanced to enable about 20 million gallons to be impounded in September. At the close of the year, the contents of the storage reservoirs amounted to 2693 million gallons. It was not found necessary to have recourse to measures for importing water from the main- land as was done during the Spring of 1902, nor was the supply at any time unduly restricted.
The total quantity of water supplied during the year was 1,285,574,000 gallons filtered and 25,403,000 gallons unfiltered, making a grand total of 1,310,977,000 gallons or 338-7 millions more than in 1902.
The average consumption of filtered water per day during constant supply was 4,296,000 gallons, which, with an estimated population of 219,200, gives an average daily consumption of 19.6 gallons per head for all purposes. During intermittent supply, the average daily consumption was 10.1 gallons per head, equivalent to a total daily supply of 2,214,000 gallons, whilst, taken over the whole year, the average consumption per head per day amounted to 16 gallons.
Full details of the consumption, contents of the reservoirs, &c., will be found in Appendices D., E. and F. The analyses made by the Government Analyst showed that the quality of the water throughout the year was excellent.
The quantity pumped to the High Level District of the City amounted to 49,797,000 gallons over the whole year, equal to an average daily consumption of 136,430 gallons, whilst 25,496,000 gallons were pumped to the Hill District, giving an average daily consumption of 69,852 gallons. These figures show a large increase over those for 1902 when the totals for the High Level District and Hill District respectively were 30,450,000 and 17,443,000 gallons. The grand total pumped during the whole year amounted to 75,293,000 gallons as compared with 47,893,000 in 1902. Tabulated statements containing particulars of the quantities pumped to the Hill District and High Levels respectively, in successive years since 1892, will be found in Appendices G. and H.
The whole of the motors were maintained in a good state of repair and the steam pumping engine at Bowen Road was also satisfactorily maintained. In consequence of the increased consumption in the High Level and Hill Districts, it was found necessary to supplement the pumping plant in a temporary manner, pending the arrival of plant ordered from England. A small engine and boiler were purchased locally and installed immediately below the West Point Filter Beds where they were used for pumping to the High Level District, thus leaving the Bonham Road engine free for maintaining the supply to the Hill District. The temporary plant was got into working order on the 1st October and a reference