2
5. In 1890 an Ordinance was passed regulating the water supply. Prior to the passing of this Ordinance, tenements occupied by Chinese, though the same rates were paid as in the case of those inhabited by Europeans, were not supposed to be allowed house services. As a matter of fact, a very large number of Chinese houses were provided with services, cither because they had formerly been occupied by Europeans, or because special indulgences had been from time to time granted. In short, prior to 1890 there was no law or order either in technical or administrative matters.
6. The Water Ordinance of 1890 places all ratepayers on an equal footing, and provides powers for preventing waste. These powers, though not as complete as I desired, will, if strictly enforced, suffice to keep waste within moderate bounds.
7. The Ordinance, originally submitted to Government, after approval by This was objected the Sanitary Board, involved the universal use of meters.
to in the Legislative Council, and the Ordinance in its present form was drafted and became law. When this Ordinance was under discussion, it was with the utmost difficulty that the Council was convinced that any regulations were necessary, or that the augmented supply was not "practically unlimited."
QUANTITY OF WATER AFFORDED BY THE EXISTING WORKS.
8. The quantity of water which the works now afford is given in the Annual Report of the Director of Public Works.
9. The following table gives a summary of the statistics from 1889 to 1893 inclusive :-
Total Annual
Supply, in millions
Rainfall at
Observatory,
in inches.
Bemarks.
3
11. The following are the results :--
1st MARCH TO 30TH APRIL, INCLUSIVE.
No.
Month.
Date.
of days.
Hours of Supply.
85
Total number of
hours during which
water was supplied.
Total Consumption
during period.
Daily
Consumption.
Gallons.
March... March...
1st to 8th
Constant
24
9th to 13th
5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
16
2,881,350 2,460,360
23,050,800 12,301,800
March...
14th to 16th
3
6
1,537,725 4,613,175
p.m. to 8 pm
March...
April April
17th to 23rd
38
6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
1,406,464 55,725,632
24th to 30th
7
7 a.m. to 10 m
3
1,431,048 10,017,336
Totals
105,708,743
61
f 6 a.m. to 9 a.w.
12. The mean consumption of water per day during the whole period was 105,708,743
1,732,930 gallons, or at the rate of 113 gallons per head per day. 61
If the constant supply had been maintained during the whole period, then the total consumption would have been, assuming that the rate of consumption remained the same as that recorded from the 1st to 8th of March, 2,881,350 × 61 - 175,762,350 gallons.
13. Therefore, if there had been at the commencement of the dry season an additional stock of water in the reservoirs, amounting to 70,000,000 gallous, the constant supply might have been maintained without intermission.
The effect of intermission on the daily consumption may be deduced from these data.
Total Annual
Mean Daily
Year.
Water Supply,
in millions
of gallons.
of gallons.
1889
778-0
213
119-70
Constant supply maintained.
1890
823-0
2.35
70-09
Constant supply maintained.
1891
870-0
2:38
117-29
Intermittent supply given in February, March,
April and May.
1892 1,184-0
3.24
90-95
Constant supply maintained.
Streams and
mint dam added.
1893
1,098.0
3-06
100-00
Intermittent supply given in March and April.
14.
Number of
hours during
Daily consumption
which water
of water,
was supplied
Consumption por head per day.
daily.
Proportion of day during which water was supplied.
of consumption to that under constant
supply.
Proportion
Gallons.
24
16
2,881,350 2,460,360
19
100
100
16
67
85
5
1,537,725
21
53
1,466,460
1,431,048
163 123
51
194
EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT SUPPLY.
10. The statistics of the first half of 1894 have not been received. Το ascertain the effect of giving an intermittent supply on the consumption of water, the statistics of 1893, as given by the Acting Director of Works in his report dated 16th April, 1894, must be examined.
15. Therefore, by supplying water for one-eighth of a day only, the consumption is reduced by one half, a result quite disproportionate to the inconvenience caused, to the danger to the public health, and the increase of fire risk, which inevitably result from an intermittent supply.
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