CO129-519-1 Estimates for 1930 5-9-1929 - 14-11-1929 — Page 106

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mun scheme, the Kowloon Byewash reservoir and the new Aberdeen reservoir will, we hope, all have been completed; for the capacity of the existing waterworks on the island, namely 7.25 million gallons a day, will then be increased by 32 million gallons a day from Sheng-mun and 2.12 million gallons a day from Aberdeen. The maximum rate of supply to the island would, therefore, amount to 12.87 million gallons a day for a demand which, according to the estimate of Mr. R. M. Henderson, our Waterworks Engineer, may in that year be as much as 11.6 million gallons a day (S.P. No. 4/1928, page 5). When we are thus a little ahead of the daily demand, and not lagging behind the requirements of our population in the matter of water supply, we ought to be able to abolish the rider-mains and give a metered service throughout Victoria City, the cost of water being paid for in proportion to the amount consumed and at a price commensurate with the Colony's outlay on waterworks.

So I come to the question of waterworks finance. The capital outlay of this Government on waterworks from the date when the first storage scheme at Pok-fu-lam was begun down to the present time is as follows:-

(a) Waterworks on Hong Kong island:-

15

(b) Waterworks on the mainland:-

1. Original pumping scheme 2. Kowloon reservoir

scheme

3. Shek-lai-pui reservoir

4. Fan-ling water-supply 5. Tai-po water-supply-

125,612

and gravitation

1,659,863

267,598

44,752

28,175

476,087

520,446

102,527

9. Sheng-mun waterworks to 30/6/29

2,326,490

6. Distribution works

7. Lai-chi-kok water-boat dock

8. Miscellaneous waterworks

$5,551,550

(c) Waterworks authorized and under construction:-

$

1. Harbour pipe-line scheme 2. Kowloon bye-wash reservoir 3. Aberdeen scheme

361,602

600,000

2,702,000

1. Pok-fu-lam reservoir and contingent

works

$

455,360

2. Tytam scheme

1,624,021

3. Wong-nai-ch’ung

reservoir, Bowen

Road filters and contingent works

330,127

4. West Point filter-beds

37,431

5. Tytam intermediate scheme

1,040,058

6. Tytam-tuk scheme

3,016,049

7. Elliot filter-beds and service reservoir

395,565

8. Pok-fu-lam pumping-station

215,851

9. Eastern filter-beds scheme

537,862

10. Workshop and plant

47,969

11. Bowen Road filter-beds conversion

144,890

12. Shau-ki-wan supply

37,399

13. Repulse Bay supply

32,690

14. Distribution works

758,821

15. Miscellaneous water works and minor

extensions to mains.

324,923

$8,999,016

$3,663,602

The grand total is, therefore, $18,214,168. Upon this sum a charge of 2% per annum for depreciation and maintenance, plus 6% per annum as interest on capital outlay, would amount to $1,457,133 per annum. There must be added to this figure the annually recurrent waterworks expenditure of this Government which, neglecting special storm damage and exclusive of upkeep of office and expenditure met from general votes, was in 1928 as follows:-

Maintenance votes, Hong Kong island $296,434.47 Maintenance votes, mainland Salaries of staff

82,957.82

131,454.00

:

$510,846.29

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