ENG-1956 — Page 246

Chapter 14: Public Utilities and Public Works

PUBLIC UTILITIES

Waterworks. The supply of water to the Colony is the responsibility of the Public Works Department of the Government.

Owing to the absence of large rivers, or other sources of supply, the Colony is entirely dependent for its water on rain, most of which falls during the summer when the south- west monsoon blows and occasional typhoons are experienced. The water is impounded in 13 storage reservoirs which have a total capacity of 5,970,000,000 gallons. These reservoirs, which are situated on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories, normally fill up completely during the wet season, but the storage, together with the dry-weather yield of streams, is inadequate for the demands of a growing popula- tion and increasing development. Severe restrictions on the hours during which water is available to the public have to be imposed every dry season. Of the maximum possible storage, only 2,362,000,000 gallons can be held on the Island. The Jubilee Reservoir, situated not far from Tsuen Wan in the New Territories, is at present the Colony's largest, holding 2,921,000,000 gallons, with a dam 275 ft. high, one of the tallest in any colonial territory. It will, however, soon take second place to the new reservoir now under construc- tion at Tai Lam Chung which, when completed, will impound 4,500,000,000 gallons, thus giving a total capacity of 10,500,000 gallons. A limited delivery of water from the new reservoir is expected to begin in the spring of 1957. In addition to these works, Hong Kong possesses a system of catchwaters 35 miles long. These channels run along the