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62. City Water-works, Public Fountains.-As mentioned in last year's Re- port, the fixing of public fountains under the Water-works Ordinance then in force (No. 29 of 1902) was discontinued by instructions received from the Secretary of State, and in September, 1903, a new Ordinance (No. 16 of 1903) was passed providing for the supply of the principal districts of the City through Rider-mains, so as to enable the water supply to be effectually controlled during periods of scarcity without depriving the inhabitants of the services to their houses. This system of supply will supersede that formerly proposed, namely, the general introduction of public fountains in the streets and the disconnection of the services to the houses.

63. City Water-works, Peak Supply, &c.-An indent was forwarded to Eng- land for the pumping plant and rising main required for maintaining the supply to the Peak, the requirements baving outgrown the capacity of the existing pum- ping engine and main, which were laid down in 1891. The new engine is to be capable of raising 72,000 gallons per working day of 12 hours, and the rising inain, which will be of wrought iron, is to be partly 5" and partly 6" in diameter. In order to overtake the present requirements of the Peak and High Level Dis- trict, a small pumping engine, which was procured locally, was fitted up temporarily below the West Point Filter Beds and utilized for pumping to the High Levels, thus rendering the motors available for pumping exclusively to the Peak. They had formerly been utilized for pumping to both places. Drawings for the re-construction of Ñe. 2 Tank were in course of preparation.

64. City Water-works, Tytam Tuk Scheme.-In order to render available, until some permanent works could be established, the dry-weather flow of the streams, the water of which it is ultimately intended to impound, it was decided to construct a small dam and lay down temporary pumping_plant, which would be capable of raising half a million gallons per day from the Tytam Tuk Valley to the gauge basin at the entrance to the Tytam Tunnel, A Worthington engine of the capacity mentioned and suitable boiler were with some difficulty obtained; a small dam immediately below the junction of the three principal branch valleys was constructed, a site for the engine and boiler was formed and a building to contain them and provide quarters for the engine-drivers erected; and a rising main 14 miles long was laid with such pipes as were available. All this work was sucess- fully accomplished and the engine started work on the 1st November. Some bursts occurred in the rising main at the outset, but improvements were made in it which have prevented their recurrence. The quantity of water pumped up to the end of the year mounted to 20 million gallons. Direct telephonic com- munication was established with the pumping station and lines from it were in course of construction to the bungalow at Tytam and to the trial works in the estuary.

Two dams for the purpose of gauging the flow of the streams were constructed in accordance with Mr. CHADWICK's recommendations a little way below the dam above mentioned and self-recording apparatus to register the quantity passing over the weirs was ordered from England. The upper weir consists of a large V-notch capable of measuring flows up to fully 40 million gallons per day, whilst the lower one is rectangular and has a width of 40 feet and depth of nearly 4 feet, being intended for measuring the heavier floods which exceed the capacity of the Useful information in connection with the works to be carried out upper one. lower down the valley will be derived from these weirs.

Of the three wells being sunk for the purpose of ascertaining the depth at which a reliable foundation for a dam will be met, No. 1 got so far out of plumb by the time it reached a depth of 35 feet below low water that it had to be abandoned.

Well No. 2 was next proceeded with and, after great difficulty, principally on account of skin friction, was successfully sunk by the 17th May to a depth of 46 feet, at which depth rock was reported. The trouble arising from skin friction. was overcome by increasing the load on the well until it ultimately reached about 200 tons. Pumping operations within such a confined space and from such depths were also a source of great trouble. The material passed through consisted of clay and silt intermingled with shells and with occasional layers of sand and shells. Just before reaching the rock, a layer of beach boulders about 2 feet in depth, was passed through. The boulders were of varying size, down to shingle, consisted of very hard stone and were densely packed together. The rate at