PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
LICO. 882
سلسللينا
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
Absence of deposit in upper parts of town. Deposit in
lower parts
Want of catch- pits to retain
washings from
hills above
town.
Manholes.
Ventilation.
Street gulleys.
Extension of
water supply decided on. Present
available
daily supply.
Waste of water. Absence of
16
A
69. Though the forms of the sewers are not those usually considered suitable for the conveyance of sewage or even slopwater, still, thanks to the very steep falls which they possess, those above Queen's Road are usually quite free from sediment. considerable amount of sand and sludge is deposited in the more level portions of the sewers where they cross the low and fat district of Sheung-Wan from Queen's Road to the sea. Here the drains must be opened and cleaned annually or biennially.
70. During heavy rains, a large amount of sand and mud is brought down from the hill sides above the town, and deposited in the harbour at the mouth of the sewer. With the exception of a series of catch-pits at the head of the sewer which receives the waters of the Glenealy ravine, no adequate arrangements exist to prevent or mitigate this evil.
71. No manholes exist, and therefore when a sewer has to be examined, the street must be broken up.
72. There are no special ventilating openings either inlet or outlet, nor does the necessity for ventilation appear to have been recognised. The drains which receive the waters of ravines above the town have open mouths at their upper ends or intakes, and so they are to some extent ventilated. Where the drain does not run up to the hill side there is no proper ventilation. For instance, the drain along Old Baily Street terminating in Caine Road. In one instance, that in Peel Street, the natural ventilation of the sewer has been prevented purposely by the construction of a trap at top. Thus the uprising sewer-gas has no means of escape except by untrapped house drains and gulley holes.
73. Some few gulley holes are trapped in the usual manner with water traps. often they are closed with an iron flap, which too frequently will not shut on account of a stone getting under its lip, or because of the rusting of the pivots.
PART I.
SECTION 5.
WATER SUPPLY.
17
manner of
At this early hour the Time and 80. The water is turned on at 2 a.m. till about 5 a.m.
The whole town is served at once, and when this is serving. detection of waste is most difficult.
causing danger finished the water is shut off at the service reservoir. Consequently the services in the Maina emptied Air enters of pollution and lower parts of the town completely empty the main in the higher districts. through open or leaky services, to replace the escaping water, and thus there is great delay in case danger of foul gas, or even sewage being drawn into the mains along with it. In the event of fire also the pipes must be refilled before pressure can be obtained, an operation further delayed by the escape of water meanwhile by the open house services.
of fire.
surface wells.
81. Much water is drawn from shallow wells, which are often situated in the cook- Supply from houses close to the house drain. The accompanying table gives the analyses of the water from some of these wells. There can be no doubt but that in many cases much dangerous contamination exists.
ANALYSES of HONG KONG Waters.
Parts per Million.
DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE.
Date
when
drawn.
Smell when Phosphorio
heated to
100° F.
Aold In
Phosphates.
"
H
**
·
No. 1. Well in Yue Hing Lane
(Island lat No. 48.)
Pres Ammonia.
Albumenoid
Ammonia.
Chlorine in
Chlorides.
Grains per Gallon.
Nitrogen in
Nitrates.
Oxyron ab
Arbours
80 P
Tomi Holid
Matter dried
Dee of Hardness-
Wanklyn's Beale.
d 513 #
4:0
0.0140 8.0
A. Well at Idle Wild House
-
12/8/81 Very faint
Trace
0.006
0.086 0.8
Not
0.0140
1.9
More
B
11/2/82
None
0.008 0.028
8/1/82 Distinct
""
2. From sewer at Tannery
3/1/82
"
Lane.
8. Well at Jardine Bazaar,
9/1/82
None
Traces 1.290
0.086 None
None 0.029
11 and 19.
4. Well at Wanehai Road
9/1/82
Faint
None
"H
11
5. Well at Hollywell Road - 28/1/82
Distinct
0.140 Very heavy, 1.720
0.994
0.100
0.070
0.096 11.8 0.199 5.6
4.4
1.0
determined.
0.059 0'8
0-298
0.0914
1.2
0.8640 25.0 10-0
4:4
0.981
0.611 0.518
0.0469
0.0850
4.3
15.7 6.0
1-8
0.0490
0.0630
50'7 15.6 23-3
8.4
trace.
11
6. Well at 44, Temple Street, 27/1/82
None
Trace
0.026
0.084 27.4
0.750
0.0360 66.0
7.8
Tah-mah-ti.
7. Well at General Post Ofice
1/2/82
Distinct
0.024
"
M. Well at Chartered Bank -
1/2/82
Faint
None
13
Well in Ag Fuk Lane
9/2/89
Heavy Distinct
0.020 0.628
0.124
0.076 6.5 0.048 85.0 9.7
0.682
0.0850
0-254
0.481
0.0980 0.0630
26.9 9.0 74-7
14.6
34.0
11.6
·
traces.
12
10. Well in Chu Toong Lane-
0/9/89
Faint
Very heavy 1748
0.369 9.6
0.156
0' 1830 34.9
10.4
traces.
11. Well in Yu Yam Lane
14/2/8#
93
Heavy 8.600 0.424 14.4
1.910
0.1330
59.6 16:0
traces.
"
18. Well at 17, Upper Lascar | 14/8/89 Very faint
Bow,
0-160
0.068 11.9
0.874
0.0350
53.2 18.0
30
"P
18. Well at 20, Cleverly Street
1/3/89
Distinct
Traces
0.976 0-178
14. Well at 18, Cleverly Street
1/3/89
Faint
Heavy
3-520
0.199 41-6
traces.
.. 15. Well in Kwai Wa Lane -
4/3/82
1-400
0.088
#
4/3/82
1.850
0-104
1.9 2-8
0.0840 0.835 7-7
0.800 0-0770
0.060 0'088
25.0 6.4
92.9
6.6
0.0850 0-0430
8.4
8.0
10.6
8.8
M
74. The necessity for an increased water supply being fully recognised, and the plans for obtaining it being under consideration, it is unnecessary to describe the existing works in detail. The quantity now available in dry weather cannot exceed, at the most liberal estimate, six gallons a head a day. This is but a paltry supply for a tropical city, but with the strictest economy and great equality of distribution, it might suffice for the bare wants of life, drinking and cooking.
75. One would reasonably anticipate that, the supply being so small, the most stringent regulations were enforced to prevent waste and misusage. Not so, however. There are regulations for no byelaws, either for regulating the construction of house services, with a view to prevent its prevention. loss from leakage, or imposing penalties for wilful waste.
Number of
house services
Intermittent supply.
Bupply from public street fountains or hydranta.
Want of ball
valves and
eisterna.
76. There are about 1,877 house services in the town, a large proportion of which are to the houses of Europeans. No new house services are now permitted to be connected, on the plea of the insufficiency of the supply.
77. To economise water, the Pok-fullam supply is distributed on the intermittent principle, conducted in a manner which subjects it in the highest degree, to all the well- known dangers and inconveniences appertaining to that system. The water from Wong- na-Chong dam is not actually turned off daily, but the pipes are so small that the supply is virtually intermittent, at the western extremity of the district which it supplies.
78. Those who have no services, must get water from the public street fountains (bydrants), at which the supply is also intermittent, either fetching it themselves or paying water-carriers to do so. The usual charge for this is one dollar (81.00) for 60 to 100 pairs of buckets, or for from 600 to 1,000 gallons, according to the distance or height to which it is to be carried. In the early morning these water-carriers assemble with their buckets round the street fountains, and wait for the water to be turned on. Outsiders have little chance with When this happens a general scramble takes place.
the professionals, and the supply is often shut off before all can get their turn. Those who go themselves to fetch water are usually poor people; if they do not succeed in filling their buckets, nothing remains for them, but to go and seek their day's supply a long way off, from the water-holes and rivulets on the hill sides.
79. Few house services are provided with ball cocks; in many cases there is no proper cistern. An ordinary plug tap is left open at night, so that when the water is turned on such vessels as may be provided for it may be filled, when the tap may, or may not, be closed.
., 18. Well at 19, Hellier Street
NOTE.-All the samples were tarbid, the majority of them being very much so.
When the suspended matters had subsided in
all the samples the supernatant water was clear and bright. Nos, 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 14, and 15 contained nitrites, some of them only in traces, others in quantity, but in no case was the amount determined.
Laboratory, Government Civil Hospital,
Hong Kong, 25th March 1882.
(Signed)
HUGH MOCAllum,
Analyst.
The ticket is a wells.
Sale of water from private
82. From some of these wells water is publicly sold at the following rates: At Nos. 18 and 20, Cleverley Street, one dollar for 350 "tickets."
slip of bamboo, given as a receipt for a pair of buckets, or about 10 gallons. The price Prices paid. therefore is at the rate of 80.28, or 124d. per 1,000 gallons at the well's mouth, not including cost of carriage. At Kaï-Wah-Lane No. 2, the price at the well's mouth is 250 tickets for $1.00 to regular customers, or ls. 4d. per 1,000 gallons. Strange coolies pay 3 cash for a pair of buckets. Delivered in the house, the charge is 100 tickets for $1.00, or 38, 9d. per 1,000 gallons. In Square Street there is a water depot where water is collected in buckets from the hydrants. This is sold and delivered at the house for 10, 15, or 20 cash a pair of buckets, according to distance, height of house, &c. At West Point a water-carrier charges $0.30 a month to deliver a pair of buckets a day (38. 9d. per 1,000 gallons). There are about 300 men who make their living by carrying If he is water. In many Chinese families it is the duty of the cook to fetch the water.
too late to get it from the street fountain he must go to the hill side.
83. An uniform rate of 2 per cent, on the assessed annual rental is levied on all tenements Government
in the city, whether they are provided with services or not. No extra charge is made water rate,
for waterclosets, baths, gardens, or even fountains. The fortunate possessor of a house its incidenos
inequality of
B 8797.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.