ENG-1963 — Page 307

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PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

and crews of the tanker fleet, whose skill and seamanship determined the successful outcome of this unique achievement.

Waterworks. The measures taken and the work which had to be carried out in connexion with the water emergency have been described in the preceding section of this chapter.

The summer provided a frustrating series of tropical storms which bypassed the Colony. Due to the severe restrictions which limited the average daily consumption to between 33 to 35 million gallons, and the assistance of the tanker fleet, the storage position slowly improved from the end of June, so that the total resources at the end of September were 4,746 million gallons compared with a total storage capacity of 15,983 million gallons. The lowest figure reached was 1,641 million gallons on 30th June.

The basic demand for water continued to rise as in previous years. The winter consumption on a five-hours supply was only about five per cent less than that for 1962 during an eight-hours supply and these figures together with the extended supplies pro- vided over the European and Chinese New Years indicate that the true demand has now approached 120 million gallons a day in summer.

Good progress was made on major projects to provide additional supplies and, but for the unprecedented dry conditions significant improvement to the supply would undoubtedly have been possible. The final stages of construction of catchwaters for the Tai Lam Chung scheme were completed, increasing the catchment area from 9,427 acres at the end of 1962 to the designed figure of 11,196

acres.

The Shek Pik scheme on Lantau Island was finally completed and opened by the Governor on 28th November although water was de- livered to service for the first time on 7th November. Due to lack of normal summer rains however, the quantity of water impounded at the end of the wet season was less than one-eighth of the reservoir capacity. The scheme is an involved feat of engineering costing in excess of $200 million. It was first investigated in 1954 and the contract for the dam was awarded in 1959. The scheme com- prises a storage reservoir of 5,390 million gallons capacity, with a natural catchment of 1,917 acres, artificially increased to 8,017 acres by concrete lined channels and tunnels to tap other valleys far removed from the direct catchment. The water is impounded