MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1978
+FOR OUR PART WE ARE COMPLETING A STUDY OF WHAT ADDITIONAL MINOR CATCHMENT SCHEMES MIGHT BE PRACTICAL.
+IN A YEAR OR TWO WE SHOULD THEREFORE BE ABLE TO SEE OUR WAY MORE CLEARLY.
+MEANWHILE, IF LOCAL RAIN FAILS, LAST WINTER PROVED HOW USEFUL THE DESALTER CAN BE.+
EARLIER, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, IN HIS WELCOMING SPEECH SAID THAT FRESH WATER WILL BE STORED IN THE RESERVOIR BETWEEN THE DAMS TO A HEIGHT OF 61 METRES ABOVE THE SEA.
THE DAMS, MADE OF ROCKFILL, WITH WATERPROOF MEMBRANES OF ASPHALTIC CONCRETE INSIDE TO KEEP THE WATER IN THE RESERVOIR, WERE THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD OF THEIR KIND,
+UNLIKE THE PLOVER COVE DAM THESE DAMS HAVE HAD TO BE BUILT IN THE DRY ON HARD ROCK FOUNDATIONS, SO THE SEA BED AT EACH DAM SITE HAD TO BE ENCLOSED BY COFFERDAMS TO KEEP THE SEA OUT, PUMPED DRY OF SEA WATER AND EXCAVATED THROUGH SAND AND CLAY DOWN TO BED ROCK, IN PLACES AS MUCH AS 41 METRES BELOW SEA LEVEL, BEFORE WORK ON THẾ DAM ITSELF COULD BE STARTED, HE SAID.
+AN UNUSUAL FEATURE OF THIS PROJECT IS THE COFFERDAM ON THE SEAWARD SIDE OF THE EAST DAM WHICH HAD TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE EXCAVATION THERE FROM THE WORST WAVES AND TIDES THAT TYPHOONS COULD PRODUCE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THE SEAWARD COFFERDAMS AT BOTH ENDS STILL REMAIN SO THAT THEY CAN PROTECT THE DAMS PERMANENTLY FROM THE SEA.+
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THE WATER COLLECTED BY THIS SPECTACULAR NEW RESERVOIR MR. MCDONALD SAID, CAME NOT ONLY FROM THE HILLS IMMEDIATELY AROUND IT, BUT ALSO FROM VALLEYS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE PENINSULA,
HE SAID THAT STREAMS ON THE IR WAY TO THE SEA ARE INTERCEPTED AND WATER SURPLUS TO THE NEEDS OF THE FARMERS AND VILLAGERS WAS DIVERTED THROUGH TUNNELS INTO THE RESERVOIR.
+FROM THE RESERVOIR, THE WATER TRAVELS THROUGH A MAIN TUNNEL 22 KILOMETRES LONG BENEATH THE HILLS OF THE SAI KUNG PENINSULA TO THE TREATMENT WORKS AT SHA TIN AND FROM THERE THE TREATED WATER IS PUMPED ALONG PIPES BENEATH THE ROAD THROUGH THE LION ROCK TUNNELS AND INTO THE SUPPLY SYSTEM,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.
+AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED IN A PROJECT WHERE SO MUCH WAS BEING DONE FOR THE FIRST TIME, DIFFICULTIES HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED, BUT WITH THE INGENUITY WHICH HAS BECOME THE HALLMARK OF OUR ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS, THESE HAVE BEEN OVERCOME.+
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