Firstly-Immediate Requirements:
82
For immediate requirements a scheme has been submitted to the Secretary of the Water Emergency Committee by Mr. Easterbrook, in which it is proposed to pump water from the Lai Chi Kok water boat dock to the Piper's Hill reservoir whence it can be dis- tributed by the existing water distribution system. The Piper's Hill reservoir is at a level of 300 feet. To digress for a moment there are practically no limits as regards the pressure heads that high lift centrifugal pumps cannot overcome so long as the quantity delivered is not too small. Pumps have been made for a head of 3,500 feet.
We have been informed that with the present restrictions in Kowloon there is every prospect that this scheme will not be required for the reason that ten inches of rain will fill the reservoirs and this is one quarter of the total average rainfall for July, August and September during the past forty years. We can only regret that this con- templates a continued restricted supply for Kowloon and contains problematical factors which we would rather see eliminated.
Secondly-Future Requirements :
The K. R. A. suggest that the 24" pipe line at present laid from the end of Nathan Road near Holt's Wharf to about two miles inland should be continued to the Reservoir being by-passed at filters and also cross connected to the Kowloon Supply mains at a low level-say 100 feet.
By fitting a branch to Holt's Wharf and also one to Kowloon Wharves any filtered water brought by ships could be put directly into this pipe and impelled up to the reser- voir or passed across to the ordinary distributing system. The 24" pipe has to be laid as part of the Shing Mun Scheme and the only additional expense would be the provision of a pump or pumps and the cost of the wharf branches.
Further, when the harbour pipe line is laid it should be possible partly to supply Hong Kong from ships at the wharves without waiting for the completion of the Shing Mun Scheme.
We have advocated the use of the existing mains for distribution and our proposals are entirely based on this method of supply. We would in conclusion come to a detail which could have immediate attention-we suggest that more than one discharge be fitted to each street fountain so that the long waits suffered by the Chinese community in the Peninsula may be reduced.
Appendix "D.”
POSITION, ON 8TH JULY, 1929.
lows:
Hon. D. P. W. said :-The position of the island supplies this morning is as fol-
Total in storage 157.79 million gallons.
Recent daily rate of depletion, 2.60 million gallons. Minimum number of days storage available (without rain and on 4 hours a day supply), 62 days.
A reduction to a single period of three hours per day will shortly have to be in- troduced however if no rain falls. This would reduce the daily rate of depletion, it is hoped, to approximately 2.10 million gallons a day.