ENG-1973 — Page 191

PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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over the 1972 average. A total of 78,780 million gallons of potable water was con- sumed, compared with 71,563 million gallons in 1972. In addition, 13,916 million gallons of salt water for flushing were supplied, 8.5 per cent more than in 1972.

Work continued on raising the Plover Cove dams and by the end of the year all major works were completed. At the same time, work on increasing the capacity of Tai Po Tau Pumping Station was completed while similar work on Tai Mei Tuk Pumping Station continued. Work at Shatin Treatment Works, the focal point of the territory's water supply, was substantially completed. New filters and settlement tanks were constructed to raise its capacity to 175 million gallons a day.

The heavy rainfall caused delays on the main contract for the construction of dams for High Island Reservoir. Mobilisation of plant and personnel and preliminary works on access roads and casting yards were in hand and excavation began at both the east and west dam sites. Work on tunnels and intakes to intercept water from the Sai Kung Peninsula continued according to programme, 20.6 miles of the total of 24 miles of tunnel were completed. Construction of the main pumping station started and the extent of contributory lowland flood pumping schemes was agreed. Six housing blocks containing a total of 240 flats and 60 shops were completed on the reclamation at Sai Kung, to house villagers in the reservoir area.

Work at the site of a 40 million gallons a day desalination plant at Lok On Pai intensified. Difficulties have arisen over recruiting senior specialist staff, but it is hoped that this will not affect the testing and commissioning of the first unit, now scheduled for August 1974.

In addition to these large schemes, work continued on other projects to bring dependable supplies of fresh water to New Territories villages in the Tai Po and Yuen Long districts. Work on providing supplies to Tai O on Lantau and to Tsing Yi Island was completed. Construction of the second tunnel through Lion Rock went ahead satisfactorily-bulk excavation at the Kowloon and Shatin portals was com- pleted and tunnelling reached 40 per cent completion. On Hong Kong Island, a major scheme to improve supplies to Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan was started, as was a scheme to provide water to high-level development in the eastern part of New Kowloon.

The task of improving consumer services was hampered by the inability to recruit middle-management staff, but the secondment of an officer from the Govern- ment Information Services enabled a report to be made on the structure and staff needed to provide an adequate customer service. As a result of the study undertaken by consultants, into computer applications within the Public Works Department, two reports, on meter installation and water billing activities, were received and recom- mendations subsequently made. Another consultants' report, on the need for greater use of equipment to moniter the waterworks system, was agreed and authority sought for implementing its findings.

Buildings

Building costs remained reasonably steady for the first few months of the year, but sharp increases in the cost of many materials-particularly steel reinforcement,