WATERWORKS OFFICE
Waterworks Engineer, R. H. Woodman, B.Sc.
Assistant Waterworks Engineer, T. O. Morgan, B.Sc., A.M.I.C.E.
General
272. Owing to the rapid expansion of industries and to the completion of new housing projects and large scale squatter resettlement schemes, the demand for water continued to increase.
273. Although more than average rainfall was received, its distribution throughout the year was more than usually uneven. In the Shing Mun catchment area, for example, approximately 90 per cent of the rain fell during the four consecutive months May to August. In consequence, for long periods it was necessary to restrict severely the hours of supply.
At the beginning of the year the effects of the previous year's very low rainfall was still evident and only a 3-hour per day zoned supply was possible until the 12th May when the supply period was extended to 9½ hours per day. Owing to the excessive demand which longer hours of supply make on the reservoirs in the Tytam Valley, it was not possible with safety to increase this supply period until the 18th July when the hours were extended to 11 per day.
274. August marked the effective end of the wet season and maximum storage was not attained after the 10th September. The hours of supply were accordingly reduced to 7 per day on the 14th October and again to 5 per day on the 3rd November. Consumption on the 5-hour period, however, was higher than had been anticipated and on the 26th November zoning was once again introduced and the hours of supply reduced to 2½ per day, the most severe restrictions which had so far been imposed.
275. As a result of the very early end of the rainy season, the yield of the streams had by early November fallen far below normal for the time of year and it became apparent that the
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