XN000022-1977-04-30 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1977..

HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR TO BEGIN IMPOUNDING WATER IN JUNE

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MR. TOM TOMLINSON, THE PWD'S DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE IMPOUNDING OF WATER AT THE HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME WILL START IN TWO MONTHS' TIME.

HE SAID WORKERS AT THE HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME, THE WATER AUTHORITY'S LARGEST +RESERVOIR FROM THE SEA+, ARE WORKING ROUND- THE-CLOCK TO RAISE THE PROJECT'S EAST DAM SUFFICIENTLY HIGH ENOUGH TO ENABLE THE IMPOUNDING OF WATER TO BEGIN IN JUNE.

WORK ON THE FIRST STAGE OF THE DAM INVOLVING THE LAYING OF FOUNDATIONS AT 42 METRES BELOW THE SEA LEVEL STARTED ONLY A YEAR AGO. NOW THE DAM HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO 12 METRES ABOVE THE SEA LEVEL.

+ THE ITALIAN CONTRACTOR, VIANANI, IS WORKING DAY AND NIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPOUNDING OF SUMMER RAIN CAN START WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY,+ MR. TOMLINSON SAID,

THE IMPOUNDING OF WATER WAS TO HAVE BEGUN LAST SUMMER BUT DUE

THE TO A SEEPAGE THROUGH AND BENEATH THE EASTERN COFFER DAM, ORIGINAL PLAN HAD TO BE POSTPONED FOR ONE YEAR.

THE SENIOR RESIDENT ENGINEER OF THE WATER SCHEME, MR. A. PRYOR, SAID THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EAST DAM TO ITS FULL HEIGHT OF 65 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL OR 107 METRES ABOVE FOUNDATION LEVEL WOULD TAKE ONE MORE YEAR.

WORK ON THE RESERVOIR'S WEST DAM WAS ALSO NEARING COMPLETION, HE SAID.

+WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED IN 1979, THE RESERVOIR WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD 273 MILLION CU. METRES OF WATER (60,000 MILLION GALLONS) AND BOOST HONG KONG'S TOTAL STORAGE CAPACITY TC 580 MILLION CU. METRES (128,000 MILLION GALLONS),+ MR. PRYOR SAID.

+WATER TO FILL THE RESERVOIR WILL BE OBTAINED FROM CATCHMENTS ON THE SAI KUNG PENINSULA.

+THESE FEED A 40 KILOMETRES LONG TUNNEL SYSTEM WHICH ALSO DELIVERS WATER FROM THE RESERVOIR TO THE NEWLY EXTENDED SHA TIN TREATMENT WORKS.

+THE TREATED WATER WILL BE PUMPED TO KOWLOON THROUGH PIPE- LINES UNDER THE ROADWAYS IN THE TWO LION ROCK TUNNELS.+

MR. PRYOR SAID THAT WATER TRAPPED AT LOWLAND CATCHMENTS, BELOW THE RESERVOIR'S TOP WATER LEVEL, WOULD BE RAISED TO THE RESERVOIR BY MEANS OF EIGHT AUTOMATIC PUMPING STATIONS.

THESE WOULD BE BROUGHT INTO SERVICE THIS SUMMER.

THE WATER SCHEME, COSTING AN ESTIMATED $1,350 MILLION, IS THE SECOND RESERVOIR TO BE CARVED OUT FROM THE SEA TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RISING WATER DEMANDS OF EXPANDING POPULATION AND

INDUSTRY.

THE NOVEL IDEA OF BUILDING A RESERVOIR FROM THE SEA WAS FIRST PIONEERED IN THE SIXTIES BY WATERWORKS ENGINEERS WITH THE PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR - HONG KONG'S BIGGEST EXISTING RESERVOIR WHICH HAS A CAPACITY OF 230 MILLION CU, METRES (50,500 KILLION GALLONS).

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