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186. At the beginning of the year restricted hours of supply from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. which had continued from the previous September, were in force, but early rainfall enabled a full supply to be restored on 4th April, 1947. Low rainfall during the winter of 1947/48 necessitated restrictions being reimposed on 15th January, 1948, when water was again made available only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. These restrictions were continued until 17th March, with the exception of two days at Chinese New Year when full supply was given. From 18th to 31st March, 1948, the hours of supply were further restricted owing to the rapid drop in the levels of the reservoirs, water being made available only from 6 to 10.30 a.m. and from 4.30 to 10 p.m. A considerable drop in consumption resulted.
war years
187. Annex I shows the consumption of water on the Island and Mainland, singly and combined, since 1922, excepted. The average daily consumption was 31.48 million gallons, an increase of 11.71% over 1946/47, and of 17.37% over 1939.
188. Distribution generally was satisfactorily carried out although difficulty was experienced in some high level areas due to insufficient pumping capacity. Permanent replacement pumps for those lost during the war arrived early in 1948, and their installation was completed by 31st March, 1948. Two of the boilers at Pokfulam Road Pumping Station were found to be in an unsafe condition and both were reconditioned by the Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co., Ltd. Extensive repairs to the Gardens Service Reservoir, which was leaking badly, were successfully completed.
189. The purity of the water was maintained generally at a standard of B. Coli absent in 100 c.c. Some local pollution occurred in three areas due to faulty services, but the faults were traced and eliminated. Apart from these three areas the samples were mostly above standard.
190. Waste detection was continued by house to house inspection but due to lack of staff little was done in regard to testing mains, except to re-organise the waste detection areas and put the waste detection meters in order.
191. It was not possible to overtake the arrears of repairs to water meters during the year owing to the failure of the makers of spare parts to fulfil orders, and the repairs that were carried out could not, for the same reason, be regarded as entirely satisfactory. Certain types of spares were manufactured at the Waterworks Workshop in large quantities, but these could not include index and undergear wheels which constituted the most pressing requirements. Altogether 14,583 meters were repaired on the Island and 7,643 on the Mainland, making a total of 22,226 meters repaired. There were 24,897 meters in use in the Colony at the end of the year. A new Workshop at Bullock Lane to deal with meter repairs only was nearing completion at the end of March, 1948.