ENG-1968 — Page 244

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PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

Government's programme for the provision of fully treated supplies to centres of population in the New Territories was further implemented by the completion of the new treatment works at Tai Po Tau. This plant, which serves the northern areas, between Tai Po and the border has an initial capacity of six million gallons per day and was laid out to allow for future phased extensions to 24 million gallons per day as and when required. Cost of the treatment works, four million gallons capacity service reservoir, mains and pumping plant was $11 million.

Work was well under way on a scheme, of similar capacity but with provision for greater long-term development, to serve the Castle Peak development area in particular and to augment the supply to the western New Territories in general. Driving of a 34-mile long tunnel system to carry raw water from the Tai Lam Chung reservoir was completed and, initially, will be available for increasing the output of the existing treatment works at Yuen Long, on which work commenced to increase the capacity from two to four million gallons per day.

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At Sha Tin treatment works conversion of the controllers and associated equipment, to permit higher filtration rates and uprate the plant capacity from 80 to 110 million gallons per day, was in hand. Proposals for further extensions to treat 175 million gallons per day, by 1972, were being finalized.

Meanwhile, the progressive development of the distribution system continued. The programme for the year included over 60 miles of fresh and salt water mains in extensions to new development and for urban area main renewal, together with the provision of additional pumping stations, service reservoirs etc. Total expenditure on these works against the recurrent and non-recurrent votes was over $20 million.

In the consumer services field, the work load increased sub- stantially as the separate metering programme gained momentum, particularly on the government-aided housing projects but also, to a lesser degree, in the private sector as the availability of this facility became better known. During the year 50,917 meters were installed, bringing the total number in service to 279,969.