XN000022-1977-05-26 — Page 3

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1977

BUT AT PLOVER COVE, WHICH IS HONG KONG'S BIGGEST OPERATIONAL RESERVOIR, ONLY 4 MM WERE RECORDED - WHICH MEANT PRACTICALLY NOTHING IN TERMS OF STORAGE.

MR. TUCKER ADDED +IT SHOULD ALSO BE REMEMBERED THAT HONG KONG HAD JUST BEEN THROUGH ITS WORST DROUGHT FOR SOMETHING LIKE 90 YEARS, WITH THE RESULT THAT THE GROUND WAS LITERALLY BONE DRY.

+THEREFORE MOST OF THE RAINFALL DURING THE MONTH' WAS ABSORBED INTO THE SOIL AND DID NOT EVEN BEGIN TO SEEP INTO THE RESERVOIRS.

+THE END RESULT HAS BEEN THAT WE SIMPLY DID NOT GET ENOUGH WATER IN THE RESERVOIRS TO AVOID RESTRICTIONS.

THIS MORNING THE RESERVOIRS HELD ONLY 31,141 MILLION GALLONS, OR 46.2 PER CENT OF THEIR FULL STORAGE CAPACITY - FAR BELOW THE 42,157 MILLION GALLONS OR 62.6 PER CENT RECORDED AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

THAT IF WE CONTINUE TO AND FAIL TO GET VERY

WHICH THE ROYAL

MR. TUCKER SAID THIS MEANS CONSUME WATER AT THE PRESENT RATE, GOOD RAINFALL YIELDS THIS SUMMER OBSERVATORY HAS PREDICTED WILL BE A DRY ONE - WE WILL BE TAKING A GREAT RISK OF VERY SEVERE RESTRICTIONS DURING THE DRY WINTER TO COME.

+IN FACT, AS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS POINTED OUT OUT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST WEEK, SUPPLIES COULD BE LIMITED TO 16 HOURS A DAY THROUGHOUT THE WINTER EVEN IF WE GET ALL THE RAINFALL FORECAST BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

+ IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO CAREFULLY HUSBAND OUR LIMITED RESOURCES NOW SO THAT WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH WATER IN STORAGE TO SEE US THROUGH THE WINTER, WHEN WE CANNOT DEPEND ON ANY SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL, HE SAID.

MR. TUCKER SAID THAT, AS IN PAST YEARS, SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS HAD BEEN MADE TO MAINTAIN A 24-HOUR SUPPLY TO

INDUSTRIAL ZONES BECAUSE OF THEIR SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.

THE INDUSTRIAL ZONES WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FULL WATER SUPPLY DURING THE RESTRICTION HOURS ARE :-

HONG KONG

A. WONG CHUK HANG

NORTH BOUNDED BY YIP KAN STREET AND TONG BIN LANE

EAST BOUNDED BY YIP FAT STREET

SOUTH BOUNDED BY HEUNG YIP ROAD

WEST BOUNDED BY ABERDEEN POLICE STATION

;

/B. QUARRY BAY