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have been inspected of which 1,023 were found defective, 741 have since been altered so as to comply with the regulations. The remainder have been notified and if the services are not put in order on the expiration of the notice they will be disconnected from the mains. Some serious leaks within private premises have been detected by the temporary fixing of a meter.

On the whole I consider the results encouraging.

Though there still doubtless exist many defective old services, particularly in the centre of the City, as house-to-house inspection progresses these will be detected and remedied or disconnected from the mains.

17. The present population of the City and Peak is 143,402 exclusive of the Naval and Military, the consumption of filtered water for the last quarter of the year has been 255,814,200 gallons including 4,231,000 gallons used for trade purposes and 1,045,000 gallons supplied to the Naval Yard and 5,017,000 gallons supplied to the Military giving an average of 19 gallons nearly per head per diem supplied to the Civil Population for domestic purposes.

18. I attach diagrams Nos. 2, 3 and 4* shewing the hourly consumption of water from the Tytam and Pokfoolum Service Reservoirs during periods of 24 hours.

A comparison of these diagrams shews that the abnormal regularity of draught during the 24 hours obtained in the case of Tytam on the 21st of June, 1890, (at which time the district supplied was under a constant service) indicating a considerable amount of waste has to a very large extent been remedied as shewn by the more normal diagram of the 14th December, 1891 which clearly records a marked improvement in the care bestowed in shutting taps and replacing defective fittings.

The reduction in the consumption of water between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M. is particularly satisfactory. The same remarks apply to some extent to the diagrams shewing the hourly consumption of the Pokfoolum water on 24th August and 14th of December. The comparatively heavy draught between the hours of midnight and 5 A.M. is partly attributable to the system of scavengering prevalent in the City, which is not a water-closeted city, for during these hours night-soil contractor's men are at work and doubtless a considerable quantity of water is used by them for the washing of utensils, &c., and partly to the existence of certain water-consuming trades which the Chinese carry on night and day.

19. I cannot conclude this portion of my report without referring to the exceptionally low rainfall experienced in this Colony from the 16th of August, 1890, to the 13th of May, 1891. During this period of 270 days the total rainfall amounts to 13.26 inches or approximately 29.35 inches less than the average rainfall during the same period for the last 20 years.

20. The average duration of the dry season may be considered to last from October to April inclusive or 212 days, the average rainfall during this period for the last 20 years is 13.95 inches or of an inch more than that experienced during the 270 days of comparative drought of last dry

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Του season.

21. Owing to the exceptionally small rainfall experienced in September and October, 1890, many of the springs along the Pokfoolum and Tytam conduits were intercepted and utilised for the purposes of water supply.

Tables A., A1, A2. shew the quantity of water abstracted from the reservoirs, the quantity inter- cepted from the springs, and the quantity consumed each month.

22. Though the constant supply was maintained from both sources till the 4th of February there remained on that date only 87,000,000 gallons in the reservoirs. The daily consumption being 2,426,000 gallons, it became necessary to limit the hours of supply. Shutting off the water from 9 P.M. to 5 A.M. reduced the daily consumption by 450,000 gallons but further limiting of the hours of supply ultimately became necessary until on the 28th of April the minimum limit was reached and from that date to the 14th of May the water was only turned on for 2 hours a day, during which time 849,000 gallons per diem were delivered or 6 gallons per head per diem.

The quantity of water abstracted from the Pokfoolum Reservoir from the 1st of September, 1890, when the water fell below the level of the overflow to the 13th of May, 1891, was 66,000,000 gallons. The yield of the springs was 36,000,000 gallons.

Making the total supply obtained from this source 102,000,000 gallons.

The quantity of water abstracted from the Tytam Reservoir from the 22nd August, 1890, when the water fell to the level of the overflow to the 13th of May, 1891, was 312,000,000 gallons. The yield of the springs was 70,582,000 gallons.

Making the total supply obtained from this source 382,582,000 gallons.

23. The experience gained during this season points only too clearly to the fact that if an extension of the water works, involving I may say a heavy expenditure of money, is to be avoided in the near future, strenuous efforts must be made and stringent regulations enforced to avoid waste and misuse of water.

*Not printed.