XN000022-1977-07-07 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1977

RAIN FALLS AT RIGHT PLACES FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR

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FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, RA IN YESTERDAY FELL IN THE RIGHT PLACES ON THE CATCHMENT AREAS.

THE P.W.D.'S CHIEF ENGINEER IN CHARGE OF WATER SUPPLY, MR. K.L. WONG, SAID TODAY THAT ALTHOUGH ONLY 30.7 MM OF RAIN WERE RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY YESTERDAY AND LAST NIGHT, MORE HAD FALLEN IN MOST CATCHMENT AREAS.

PLOVER COVE GOT 49.2 MM AND SHEK PIK, 81.5 MM.

THE RESULT WAS A YIELD OF 931 MILLION GALLONS TO THE RESERVOIRS EQUIVALENT TO FOUR DAYS' SUPPLY, AND THE HIGHEST YIELD SINCE LAST WET SEASON.

AND THE FACT THAT YESTERDAY'S RAIN FOLLOWED THE DOWNPOUR ON TUESDAY MEANT THAT THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN AT LEAST SOME GROUND MOISTURE, SO NOT AS MUCH OF YESTERDAY'S RAINFALL WAS WASTED BY SOAKING INTO THE GROUND.

TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF RAIN FALLING ON THE CATCHMENT AREAS INSTEAD OF IN THE URBAN AREAS. MR. WONG POINTED OUT THAT IN CONTRAST TO YESTERDAY'S YIELD OF 931 MILLION GALLONS WHEN ONLY 30.7 MM WERE RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, ON MAY 24, WHEN 81 MM OF RAINFALL HAD BEEN RECORDED AT THE OBSERVATORY, THERE HAD BEEN A YIELD OF ONLY 91 MILLION GALLONS TO THE RESERVOIRS EQUIVALENT TO ONLY SEVERAL HOURS' CONSUMPTION.

AND ON JUNE 23, WHEN 91.9 MM WERE RECORDED AT THE OBSERVATORY THE HIGHEST RECORDING THIS YEAR ONLY 101 MILLION GALLONS WENT INTO THE RESERVOIRS.

+ON TUESDAY, WHEN 35.2 MM WERE RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, THE YIELD FROM THE CATCHMENT AREAS WAS ONLY 303 MILLION GALLONS,+ SAID MR. WONG.

+ IF AT THIS STAGE WE NOW GOT GOOD, CONTINUOUS, HEAVY RAIN OVER THE CATCHMENT AREAS, WE WOULD GET VERY GOOD YIELD INDEED,+ HE SAID.

+UNFORTUNATELY, THE LATEST FORECAST FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY THIS MORNING PREDICTS VIRTUALLY NO RAINFALL AT ALL FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHICH MEANS THE GROUND WILL DRY OUT AGAIN,

+SO WE'VE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.+

MR. WONG SAID THAT AT 9 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING, TOTAL STORAGE IN OUR RESERVOIRS WAS STILL ONLY 31,221 MILLION GALLONS - REPRESENTING 46.4 PER CENT OF TOTAL CAPACITY.

/AT THE