THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH SEPTEMBER, 1890.
50. The probable cost of the sewerage works will be as follows:-
Sewerage of Upper District, inclusive of regulation of certain nullahs,..
Sewerage of Western and Central Districts,.......................
Sewerage of-Eastern District,
Intercepting syphon, wells, pumps, engines, and pumping-main for Western District,
Total,
979
..$ 25,000.00
145,000.00
42,500.00
70,000.00
.$282,500.00
cases,
51. In addition to this, a certain expenditure on altering and renewing storm-water channels must be incurred. In some this will be chargeable to the Praya Reclamation Works; in other it must form the subject of special report, estimate and vote. I have not had time to examine these storm-water channels, in detail. To do so, it will be necessary, in many cases, to open them up. This will have to be done when the sewerage work is in hand, and it would add to the cost and to the inconvenience to the public, to open these channels up, merely for the purpose of inspection, close them again and finally re-open, when the work is in hand.
52. The sewerage work is to be carried out by the department, entrusted with the completion of the water-works; and it will therefore be desirable to provide the necessary funds for both works, at the same time, and in the same manner.
53. The funds to be provided are as follows:-
Estimated cost of completing the water-works,.....
Estimated cost of sewerage, say,
Funds provided in this year's Estimates-
New Water-mains,
Main Drainage and Sanitary,
.$200,000 300,000
$500,000
$80,000
50,000
130,000
$370,000
but of the vote Main Drainage and Sanitary, the following sums have been spent or are to be spent on works not included in this report:—
By the Surveyor General's principally for Peak wells, about
.$ 2,000
By Water and Drainage Department, principally on Peak Drainage,.......
4,000
The Jubilee Street storm-water channel commenced on account of the New Central Market,
6,000
$12,000
leaving therefore available for use this year $128,000.
Consequently the sum to be provided is $172,000.
54. In addition to the water and drainage works, designed and estimated, numerous other works, which have not been designed and estimated, will be required to complete the sanitation of Hongkong.-These are :—
Drainage of Villages, principally those in the Kowloon Peninsula.
Water-supply of Kowloon Peninsula.
Alterations to storm water-channels.
Extension of Peak out-fall sewers, and provision of some means of sewage disposal.
Water-supply of Aberdeen.
Also meters and sundry for Water-works.
The Kowloon water-supply has been roughly estimated at $180,000.
55. It seems probable therefore that the expenditure of a sum not less than $750,000 will have to be expended on water-supply, drainage and sanitation, during a period of, say, five years.
56. The proposed works are of a permanent character, and should be pushed on to completion, as rapidly as possible. The funds might be borrowed, as required; and repaid with interest by equal annual instalments in, say, 21 years. Assuming the expenditure to be $750,000, and that the money could be raised at 4% then the annual instalment will be $53,460.
The annual rateable value of Victoria is about $2,881,460. So that a rate of less than 2% would pay off the loan in
21 years, whilst a rate of over 5 % would be required to provide the funds in 5 years.
57. I would suggest, therefore, that a loan be raised, as required, and that the accounts of the Water and Drainage Department be kept quite distinct from the general accounts of the Colony. An annual report and balance sheet should be submitted to Government, by the Head of the Department.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.