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41. Maintenance of Water-Works, Aberdeen and Shaukiwan.-A satisfactory supply of water was maintained at Aberdeen and Shaukiwan during the year, the total consumption amounting to 6,003,000 and 7,350,000 gallons respectively, or 16,000 and 20,000 gallons per day. Details are given in Appendices L. and M.

42. Water-works, Miscellaneous. The following is a statement of the prin- cipal items of expenditure under this heading, being in some cases only part of the cost on account of the work having been begun in 1902 or not completed by the end of 1903 :-

Reconstructing aqueduct from Tytam West Catchwater,

forming small channels alongside catchwaters to take the dry-weather flow of streams and con- structing face-walls to banks of reservoir near top-water level,

Relaying clear-water pipe at Pokfulam Reservoir, Extending return wall of Wongneichong Reservoir into bank on account of landslip and restoring bank,

$14,788

6,684

4,799

Diverting main in Glenealy in order to be clear of

Inland Lot 645,

950

Altering main in Station Street South, Yaumati, on

account of lowering road,........

294

The reconstruction of the aqueduct referred to in the first item was rendered necessary by the decay of the large steel pipes, 18" diameter, of which two lines were originally laid for conveying the stream from Tytam West Catchwater into the reservoir. In carrying out the work, it was decided to dispense entirely with pipes and to convey the water in an aqueduct formed of cement concrete supported on steel joists and made to discharge over the top of the Bye-wash Dam. To admit of this being done, the pillars which had hitherto supported the pipes had to be increased in height to the extent of 10 feet. The aqueduct was made of equivalent capacity to the catchwater, its dimensions being 3'6" by 2′6′′; the steel pipes formerly used having been inadequate to take the flow during heavy rainstorms, thus causing a loss of water. From the top of the Bye-wash Dam, the water is conducted in an open channel to a point where it can be discharged without causing injury to the retaining walls which form the sides of the Bye-wash channel. The pathway alongside the catchwater is carried across on top of the aqueduct to join the Tytam main road, the granite slabs which were formerly laid on top of the steel pipes being used again and the railings re-fixed.

43. Water-works Ordinance.-The Water-works Ordinance (No. 29 of 1902) did not receive the Royal Assent, an influentially-signed petition from the Chinese community having been presented against it. The provisions which provoked opposition on the part of the Chinese were those for disconnecting the services to tenement houses and requiring the occupants to obtain their supply from public fountains to be erected in the streets. In order to effect the object of the Or dinance, namely, the prevention of waste of water, the only alternatives were the universal introduction of meters or the application of the rider-main system to the most populous districts of the City. The first alternative was, for various reasons, dismissed as inapplicable and it was decided to adopt the second. A new Ordin- ance was therefore drafted which gave the Governor in Council power to define "Rider-Main Districts," that is, districts within which the supply of water to all tenements, unless specially exempted, would be effected through rider or branch- mains, controlled by valves so that an intermittent supply could be given without cutting off the water from the City at large. To meet exceptional cases, such as those of premises requiring a supply of water for trade purposes, power of exemp tion from disconnection with the principal mains was also given to the Governor in Council, meters being required to be fixed in all such cases as well as in the case of all services to tenements situated outside “Rider-Main Districts.”

It was further stipulated that the entire cost of providing the rider-mains was to be borne by the owners of premises which such mains are intended to supply, the apportion- ment of the cost being determined by the Water Authority. The Ordinance came into effect on the 25th September and new Regulations giving effect to its provisions were gazetted on the 9th October (Government Notification No. 657).

A requisition for the materials required for laying the rider-mains was for- warded to the Crown Agents in August and an Assistant Engineer and Overseer to arrange and supervise the work were applied for in September.