Sessional_Paper_1903 — Page 377

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Simultaneously with the inauguration of this supply, the water in the mains was shut off from a portion of the City extending along the Harbour front and back to Queen's Road, bounded by the Central Market on the East and the Sailors' Home on the West and containing a population of about 47,000. As the daily supply from the tanks was increased, the cut-off area was extended back to Holly- wood Road and High Street until it ultimately included a population of about 63,000.

Practically the whole of the water obtainable from the stream near Tsiin Wan was being imported towards the termination of the drought, the total quantity derived from this source being over 23 million gallons, or about one-third of the contents of Pokfulam Reservoir. Taking it over the whole period, the average daily supply delivered per head of the population of the cut-off area was 5'8 gallons.

In addition to the above, arrangements were made with Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE for obtaining a supply from their principal reservoir for the Eastern district of the City. A line of pipes connecting with the reservoir referred to was placed at the service of the Government by Messrs. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co. for 8 hours daily and a supplementary main, over a mile in length, was laid. The quantity that could be obtained from this source was originally stated to be 15 million gallons, but, in consequence of an error which had been made in calculating the contents of their reservoirs, Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE subsequently dis- covered that they were not in a position to supply so much. The actual quantity obtained was a little over 1 million gallons.

With the curtailment of the area served from the City Waterworks, it became possible to reduce the hours of supply and these were limited to two hours daily on the 31st March and to one hour on the 28th April.

In consequence of the steady continuance of the drought up to the end of April, instructions were given by His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government to make arrangements for importing more water to the City at any cost. Numerous schemes for so doing were considered and several were initiated.

For the supply of the Eastern district, it was decided to convey water from a small stream at Tai Wan in Kowloon Bay, distant 5 miles from Blake Pier, in a similar manner to that adopted in the case of the Tsiin Wan stream.

A dam was built across the stream, whence the water was conducted in an open channel, 700 yards long, to a tank near the sea-shore. From this point, three lines of canvas hose, supported on trestles, were laid for a distance of 567 yards across the foreshore to where lighters could be filled at all states of the tide. A large tank, into which the water was to be pumped, was fitted up at Ship Street, numerous taps being provided for drawing it off into buckets. These works were completed, but were not brought into service on account of the rainy season setting in before they could be availed of.

In order to supply additional areas in the central and western low-level dis- tricts, beyond those already supplied from Tsin Wan, works were undertaken for bringing water from a stream at Tai Lam Chung, near Castle Peak Bay and distant 13 miles from Blake Pier. These works comprised the construction of a dam; 1,206 lineal feet of open channel; 2 miles of cast iron pipes, 12 inches in diameter; trestle bridges over ravines and a trestle pier at the sea shore. Brick tanks, each having a capacity of 34,000 gallons, to receive the water from this source, were constructed on the Praya, one opposite Pottinger Street and the other opposite French Street. All these works were about half finished when the rains set in.

For transporting the water, two lighters were lent by the Superintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, and five others were hired from the Godown Company and Naval Authorities, all of them being fitted with bulkheads and otherwise adapted for the purpose. Some other works of a similar nature to those already described, but of less magnitude, were also undertaken and a scheme was considered for obtaining a supply of river-water from Moto Mun, distant about 60 miles from the Colony. It was proposed to transport the water in tank steamers to be chartered for the purpose, but apart from objections on the score of expense, which would have been very great, it was found that it would be impracticable to maintain a regular daily supply by its adoption and the scheme was therefore abandoned.

Towards the end of the drought, the streams rendered available by the City Water-works continued to yield about 300,000 gallons per day.