ENG-1961 — Page 267

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PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

between 10 and 12 hours per day, with occasional periods of full supply over public holidays.

Cool or wet weather caused a considerable drop in the daily demand for water, with the result that on various occasions the official supply hours were extended to the limit of the filtration capacity, thereby resulting in an overall increase of 31% of supply time as compared with the previous year. Consumption reached an all-time record of 104.18 million gallons on 11th September 1961.

Buildings. The demand for public buildings-schools, clinics, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, Government administrative offices, housing and playgrounds increases annually.

Forty three projects were completed and occupied during the year including the 1,000-bed Mental Hospital and staff accom- modation at Castle Peak, two new wards at Kowloon Hospital and the Magistracy building and staff quarters at Fanling in the New Territories. Five 30-classroom primary schools, a secondary modern school at Fuk Wah Street, the Clementi Middle School, three fire stations, two police stations and a large block of flats for Government officers were also completed.

New projects under construction at the end of the year numbered 36, of which the largest and most important were the 1,320-bed Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the City Hall with its concert hall, theatre, banqueting hall, library and museum and the Kai Tak Airport Terminal Building which is the last stage in the re- development of Kai Tak Airport. With the assistance of private architects and the use of standard plans good progress was made with the schools programme and 10 projects were under construc- tion including a new building for the Northcote Teachers' Train- ing College, a further five 30-classroom primary schools, two secondary schools and one technical school. A large number of Government quarters were being constructed including 100 quarters at North Point for the Fire Services, 716 for the Police at Tin Kwong Road, 90 for the Preventive Service at Hung Hom, 82 flats for senior staff at Mount Nicholson and 60 flats for the Admiralty at Wong Nai Chung Road. Work commenced on a multi-storey car park for 700 cars on the Murray Parade Ground site, and the building will include accommodation for a new telephone exchange. The remaining projects included clinics,