ENG-1958 — Page 260

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

of July was well below average; by the beginning of July there were only some 3,660,000,000 gallons in storage, and the hours of supply were reduced to five a day on 10th July. Heavy rains fell during the latter half of July and September, and all the reservoirs, with the exception of that at Tai Lam Chung, were overflowing by 2nd September. The hours of supply were increased to ten a day on 2nd August, but a reduction to eight a day was made on 27th November.

The Colony's water supplies were temporarily reduced between 25th April and 15th May as a result of a fracture in the tunnel lining causing a leak to develop, at the rate of about one million gallons a day, in one of the tunnels bringing water from Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. At first, supplies for the urban areas were restricted to four hours a day in the afternoon; then on 2nd May a four-hour zoning system was introduced; finally on 17th May, after strenuous efforts by the engineers concerned, a ten-hour supply was introduced. A further seepage on a much smaller scale developed at the site of the previous leakage at the end of the year. The cause of the original trouble is not known for certain but may be due to some form of earth movement in the Tsuen Wan area.

Average daily consumption for the year was 53.03 million gallons, the peak consumption being 83.90 million gallons. This is the highest consumption ever recorded, and it is somewhat dis- concerting to note that the average consumption for the year represents a 10.4% increase over last year and the maximum consumption a 14.8% increase.

The year's work included a large programme to replace existing mains and extend the distribution system. One factor which is causing an increase in the demand for water supplies is the rapid expansion of the Colony's Resettlement Estates. In these estates mains water is provided through standpipes. The number of regular water consumers increases as more estates are constructed because the squatter areas, which the resettlement projects replace, had only very limited regular means of obtaining water. All resettlement estates are very densely populated and need a large quantity of water for flushing. Wells sunk to provide this water have proved hopelessly inadequate. In order to conserve mains water, work was commenced in 1958 on seven separate schemes