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WATER SUPPLITS
There has still been no reply to the request to the Chinese for additional water supplies. Recent rains have very much improved the water situation and have brought the amount of water in storage on 17th July to 5,603 million gallons. The attached table gives weekly target storage figures up to the end of September and it will be seen that the quantity of water in storage on 17th July was some 2,000 million gallons in excess of the target figure for that date. It is envisaged that the targot figure for 30th September can be achieved with as little as 25" of rainfall (as compared with the average of 40") during the period July September. If this target figure is reached, it will be possible, without supplies from China, to maintain a four hours supply every fourth day until the summer of 1968 provided that consumption can bo rigidly controlled. It will be possible to make a more accurate assessment of the overall position in a few
wooks time.
2. If rainfall during July September is even les# than 25" or if consumption cannot be sufficiently rigidly controlled, it will be necessary to consider restricting domestic supplies still further and to consider importing water by tanker. This possibility is being examined.
3. No allowance for water from the Plover Cove schame
has been made in these calculations since the schome is
incomplete. But the reservoir is already collecting rainfall
and it may be possible to draw some water out of Plover Cove
by the end of September, although the quantity might be
small and the saline content high.
4. Once the Plover Cove scheme is completed, and in
full operation, the Colony's water storage capacity will be nearly trebled (from 16,000 million gallons to 46,000 million
gallons, With normal rainfall, the Colony would still require assistance from China to maintain a 24-hour supply through-
out the year; but a limited daily supply could be maintained, without water from China, even in periods of drought.
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