ENG-1959 — Page 279

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS

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The Government has been searching vigorously for additional sources of supply, and the most promising solution appears to lie in the construction of additional storage reservoirs at Plover Cove and Hebe Haven. These are tidal estuaries on the north-east coast of the New Territories, and the unconventional proposal is to construct dams across the mouths of the inlets and pump out the sea water. Both of these schemes have been investigated and shown to be feasible. A detailed investigation has now started at Plover Cove, where the feasibility report indicated that a reservoir of 29,000 million gallons capacity could be constructed with a probable yield of 55 million gallons per day. At the same time, the Government is inquiring into the possibility of producing fresh water by the distillation of sea water using nuclear power, and combining the production of potable water with the production of electricity. There is no commercial plant in existence of comparable size to that which would be required in Hong Kong and the cost of such a project would undoubtedly be extremely high.

Only 2,362 million gallons of the maximum possible storage can be held on the Island, and under existing conditions approximately half of the Island's consumption is supplied from the New Terri- tories and conveyed across the harbour in two 21-inch diameter concrete-lined steel submarine pipes. Because the Island is hilly, a large proportion of the water has to be pumped, and in some areas repumped, through a system of numerous pumping stations and service reservoirs.

In addition to these works, Hong Kong has a system of catch- waters 35 miles in length which will be extended to about 60 miles when the Tai Lam Chung Scheme is completed. These concrete-lined channels run along the mid-levels of hillsides, inter- cepting streams and water courses and conveying their water into the storage reservoirs. The water supply to the Island and the urban areas of Kowloon is filtered and sterilized by chemical treatment, and a high standard of purity is maintained. Practically all water is supplied to consumers through meters at an average cost of eighty cents (one shilling) per 1,000 gallons. Some of the poorer districts are however, provided with water free of charge through standpipes.

At the beginning of 1959 there was an eight-hour supply each day. These hours of supply remained in force until the closure of