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In addition, 1,114 feet of parapet walling to open nullahs was constructed, and Tai Hang Nullah bridge was reconditioned, strengthened and extended. In Kowloon, New Kowloon and New Territories, new main sewers and storm water drains were constructed to a length of 12,923 feet. The construction of Pat Heung nullah at Shek Kong, New Territories, commenced in 1936, was completed at the end of the year.
Anti-malarial work was continued in Hong Kong. An area between the two reservoirs at Aberdeen was completely drained, and work was continued at Pokfulam between the Queen Mary Hospital and Sandy Bay. In New Kowloon 935 feet of channel were laid and subsoil drains were completed to a length of 2,162 feet.
Waterworks.
In Hong Kong 17,000 feet of mains, of various sizes, were laid. At Repulse Bay a covered concrete service reservoir of 56,000 gallons was constructed. Steel plate balance tanks, each of 30,000 gallons capacity, were erected at Tai Hang and Kennedy Town. A third pressure filter was installed for the Stanley supply.
In Kowloon and New Kowloon 17,000 feet of mains were laid, and 15,000 feet were laid in the New Territories.
Remedial measures at Pineapple Pass Dam were carried out by the Consulting Engineers. The work consisted mainly of removing the sand wedge and substituting 4,405 cubic yards of cement concrete. As the Jubilee Reservoir did not fill during the year no opinion as to the efficacy of the measures taken could be formed.
The rainfall during the year amounted to 55.36″ which, with one exception, is the lowest ever recorded in the Colony. As a result the main storage reservoirs did not fill, and the water supply to Hong Kong and Kowloon was subjected to restrictions from August until the end of the year.
The formation of a waste detection branch of the waterworks sub-department was proceeded with during the year. Additional staff, waste detection meters, etc., were provided, and a zoning scheme was worked out. Unfortunately the water restrictions after August greatly hampered the carrying out of night tests.
A new Waterworks Ordinance was prepared and passed in 1938, to take effect from the 1st of January, 1939.
Work in connection with the general extension of the Colony's waterworks, approved in 1937, was proceeded with. The pumping stations and pipe-lines for the supplies to Albany and Peak Road were practically completed, and construction of the Peak Road service reservoir was commenced. The two new 21″ cross-harbour pipe-lines were about one-third completed. Kowloon Chai Service Reservoir was commenced. Extensions to the distribution system of the island and mainland were made. The first section of the Shing Mun Catchwater was completed and the second commenced. Preliminary works for the supply and distribution mains for Kowloon Chai Service Reservoir, and for the rapid gravity filters at the Eastern Service Reservoir, were put in hand. Preliminary investigations in connection with the Tai Lam Chung Valley Scheme were commenced.
Reclamations.
Reclamations at North Point, Kennedy Town and Kwun Tong were continued. The two former are being made by deposits of building debris; the last-named by deposits of town refuse. The areas reclaimed by the end of the year were 3.4, 2.4 and 12 acres respectively.
Electrical Works.
Two submarine cables between Victoria and Kowloon, which had been dragged eastward, were under-run and restored to their proper position. Repairs were carried