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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1977

IN FACT, ONE TOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY OPERATING SUCH A SYSTEM FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS WITHOUT ANY APPARENT PHYSICAL HARK TO ITS POPULATION.

MR. TUCKER WAS OF THE OPINION THAT WHILE THE NEED FOR SUCH MEASURES IN HONG KONG WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY APPARENT, THE POTENTIAL OF SUCH RECLAMATION SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED AS THE SUPPLY MAS AVAILABLE FROM LOCAL SOURCES AND COULD PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN THE FUTURE.

MR. TUCKER ALSO SPOKE ABOUT RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION AND THE RELATION BETWEEN THE RAINFALL AND THE YIELD TO RESERVOIRS.

HE SAID THAT DURING THE PASSAGE OF TROPICAL STORM CARLA THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY RECORDED A TOTAL OF 255 MM OF RAIN IN THE 72 HOURS UP TO THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 6, BUT THE AVERAGE CATCHMENT RAINFALL OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAS 173.6 MM.

HE FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT WHILE THE FIRST 48 HOURS OF CARLA PROVIDED HONG KONG WITH 61 PER CENT OF THE THREE DAY RAINFALL, THE YIELD IN THIS PERIOD WAS ONLY 45 PER CENT OF THE THREE DAY TOTAL OF 2,837 MILLION GALLONS.

+THIS INDICATES THAT DAILY READINGS OF RAINFALL AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY CANNOT BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO INCREASES IN RESERVOIR STORAGE OVER THE SAME PER ICD, + MR. TUCKER SAID.

PERICD,

+

+MORE IMPORTANTLY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY RAINFALL FIGURES ARE NOT NECESSAR ILY REPRESENTATIVE OF RAINFALL IN CATCHMENT AREAS.

+WHAT COUNTS IS THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE RECEIVE IN OUR RESERVOIRS.+

IN ORDER TO RESTORE OUR RESERVOIR STORAGE TO A MORE HEALTHY POSITION, MR. TUCKER SAID, HONG KONG, NEEDED CONTINUOUS RAIN OVER THE CATCHMENT AREA,

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