tion of tidal records and the testing of engineering materials. In addition, under the Water Emergency scheme which started in May, deep-water berths for tankers were constructed at Sham Tseng. In October the responsibility for development works and investigation on Hong Kong Island was taken over from the Development Office.
WATER EMERGENCY SCHEME
8.02. The most intense period of activity was during June and July, when berths had to be constructed for ocean-going tankers bringing water to the Colony to relieve the shortage. The site chosen was at Sham Tseng in the New Territories, and the ships were of up to 26,000 tons displacement and were the largest for which the Public Works Department had constructed berthing facilities. Two berths were provided with two dolphins each and two ships were able to berth at each of these, while one ship was able to berth at the third berth, secured to mooring buoys only. The dolphins were provided with gravity tenders in the form of 40-ton concrete blocks and were supported by prestressed concrete piles. Piled supports for a 500-foot pipeline from the shore were also constructed and all the works were completed 6 weeks after the order to commence, involving a considerable amount of night work.
8.03. Because of the need for full use of these berths, the dolphins were inspected after every berthing and necessary maintenance work carried out. There were 613 berthings in the 9 months up to the end of March.
8.04. Extensive repairs had to be carried out to the existing private pier, around which one of the berths was built and a landing for small boats was built at another berth.
8.05. Dredging was carried out at Tsuen Wan to improve the approaches to an oil company pier, which was also used by the water tankers.
RECLAMATIONS AND SEAWALLS
Central Reclamation
8.06. Work continued on stages II and IV of the Central reclamation scheme, which will eventually link the reclamation already carried out for the Star Ferry piers with the completed section of reclamation at Rumsey Street. Owing to the works undertaken for the Water Emergency, the progress on this scheme as a whole fell behind schedule.
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