ENG-1966 — Page 238

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PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

Stage II of the Plover Cove scheme, involving the conversion of the Plover Cove sea inlet to a storage reservoir, was brought nearer to completion. When ready for use this reservoir will add 30,500 million gallons of usable storage to the Colony's present storage capacity of 16,816 million gallons, The formation of the new reser- voir has necessitated the complete removal of six long-established Hakka villages from the shores of Plover Cove, involving the rehabilitation, in government-built shop and flat accommodation in Tai Po, of some 1,100 persons. Construction of the six-mile tunnel connecting Plover Cove with Tai Po Tau was completed during the year. This tunnel will convey impounding water from Plover Cove into the stage I system and, at appropriate times, transmit stage I surpluses into storage in the Plover Cove reservoir. Tunnels branching off this main tunnel, and a separate secondary tunnel tapping indirect catchments on the northern slopes of the Pat Sin Range, will supplement the natural run-off into the Plover Cove reservoir.

The River Indus yield, while non-existent during the driest periods of the winter, can exceed 200 million gallons a day under summer flood flow conditions and a pumping station of this capacity is nearing completion on its banks. The yields to the River Indus pumping station, as also to that at Tai Po Tau, are impounded by inflating dams of neoprene-coated nylon under compressed air and water pressure, while the natural yield to Tai Po Tau is increased by a similar dam at Tau Pass which reverses the flow of a stream. These dams, which are now fully operational, deflate during periods of excess flow, and thus reduce the risk of flooding in the surrounding countryside. The opportunity is being taken, with the increased resources at Tai Po Tau, to construct a 6 million gallons a day treatment plant, with site provision for extension to 24 million gallons a day. This will provide a treated water supply to the New Territories' townships of Tai Po and Sheung Shui. Construction of the treatment works and an associated service reservoir was in

progress.

In order that the additional water resources available on the mainland may supplement the supply on Hong Kong Island, a fur- ther cross-harbour main of 42-inch diameter is being laid between Tai Wan Bay and North Point. In addition a major pipeline of