No_5_February_1963 — Page 109

turned

Cove to be

freshwater lake

Plover

into a

THE HONG KONG Government

has decided to go ahead with another stage of the plan, first an- nounced 3 years ago, to convert Plover Cove, a 2,750 acre inlet in Tolo Harbour, into a major fresh- water lake with a storage capacity of about 30,000 million gallons, nearly three times the present storage capa- city of the Colony's reservoirs.

This will be achieved by construct- ing a dam across the inlet, on the eastern side of the New Territories. to form a reservoir from which the salt water will be pumped out and replaced by the inflow of fresh water.

The decision to proceed with the Plover Cove Scheme was taken as a result of the continuously increasing demand for water throughout the Colony, and after consideration of various alternative means of meeting this demand. including the conver- sion of sea water to fresh water by the use of nuclear power,

These investigations have shown that there is no known process which can compete economically in the Colony with the conventional me- thods of impounding water in

reservoir.

SEVEN VILLAGES AFFECTED

When completed, the very large storage capacity provided in Plover Cove will enable water supplies to be "evened-out" over the years. This is important in an area such as Hong Kong, where records show that, for every five years of above- normal rainfall, there are six below normal.

The estimated cost of the first two stages of the Plover Cove Water Scheme is in the order of $500,000,- 000. It is not only the most costly construction project to be carried

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER ·

out by the Hong Kong Government but it also ranks among the world's major engineering works.

The decision to proceed with Stage II of the Scheme will affect seven villages around Plover Cove which, although they will not all be com- pletely inundated, will lose their fields and their fishing grounds in Plover Cove. After the District Administration has

has discussed the problem with the villagers much will have to be done to make the transi- tion from their present homes to new accommodation as easy as possible.

The Government will ensure that adequate provision will be made for villagers who have to be displaced, as has been done in the past on other Waterworks schemes.

Many farmers in the areas through which the tunnels will pass will be affected by the works for which special approach roads are to be built. However, although some agri- cultural land will inevitably be lost, the roads will. where necessary, be built up to permanent standards and will improve communications to pre- viously isolated areas.

Special care will be taken to ensure that the trapping of water by tunnels will not deprive farmers of their supplies of drinking and agricultural water. Shafts and weirs will be built in such a way that only water which is surplus to the needs of the rural communities will be taken.

This will mean that the standard flow of water will be maintained. subject of course to the vagaries of the weather, and only excess water, which would otherwise be lost in the sea, will be collected.

Funds have been set aside for the improvement of irrigation in the vicinity of these works. Thus not only should local water supplies be

- VOLUME 17, NUMBER 5

maintained, but they should in many cases be improved.

Planning has already been done to ensure that the vast supplies of earth and rock required for the dam are collected with the minimum distur- bance to local inhabitants. Some disturbance is 'nevitable in a scheme as large as this.

Increased road traffic will cause some congestion but the bulk of the transport of earth and rock will be by sea to the dam site. In addition where practical and economic the sites from which earth and rock are being taken will be so formed that they can eventually to used for development.

DETAILS OF SCHEME

The Plover Cove Water Scheme was approved in principle by Govern- ment in late 1959 following a feasi- bility report by the joint consulting engineers, Messrs. Binnie, Deacon and Gourley (now Binnie and Part- ners) and Messrs. Scott & Wilson. Kirkpatrick & Partners that it was possible to convert the cove into a fresh water reservoir.

After further extensive detailed site investigations, the joint consult- ing engineers have now submitted a report to the Director of Public Works confirming the feasibility of the project.

As a result of this report, the joint consulting engineers have been authorised to proceed with the con- tract drawings for Stage II of the Plover Cove Water Scheme. The work involves the construction of the Plover Cove main dam and sub- sidiary dams, the Plover Cove pum. ping station, tunnels botween Plover Cove and Tai Po, and the second

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