ENG-1979 — Page 206

PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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reclamation was also completed. At Tsim Sha Tsui the construction of salt water pump- houses was well advanced.

In the New Territories, the construction of a seawall and the related reclamation work were completed in the Rambler Channel Typhoon Shelter to provide land for cargo handling. At Cheung Chau, construction work on the foundations for the typhoon shelter was well advanced, and at Tai Po the contract for seawall construction for the industrial estate neared completion.

In Victoria Harbour, dredging work at the mooring areas south of Stonecutters Island continued.

Water Supplies

Above average rainfall in 1979 enabled a continuous water supply to be maintained in Hong Kong throughout the year.

At the beginning of 1979 there were 361 million cubic metres of water in storage, compared with 187 million cubic metres at the start of 1978. Rainfall for the year was 2,615 milli- metres compared with the average of 2,246 millimetres. Heavy rains in late July, August and September caused all except the two largest reservoirs to overflow and the beginning of the dry season in October saw reservoirs more than 80 per cent full.

On January 1, the combined storage in Hong Kong's two largest reservoirs, High Island and Plover Cove, was 306 million cubic metres. The quality of the water impounded in these reservoirs remained satisfactory throughout the year; salinity contents at the end of the year were 26 and 74 milligrammes per litre, respectively.

A total of 148 million cubic metres of water was piped from China during the year. An additional 23 million cubic metres was being supplied from October, 1979, to July, 1980, under an agreement with the Bureau of Water Conservancy and Electric Power, Guangdong (Kwangtung) Province.

Demand for fresh water rose steadily and a new peak of 1.52 million cubic metres a day was reached, an increase of 13.4 per cent over the 1978 peak of 1.34 million cubic metres a day. The average daily consumption throughout the year was 1.28 million cubic metres, an increase of 13.2 per cent over the 1978 average. A total of 467 million cubic metres of potable water was consumed, compared with 412 million cubic metres in 1978. In addition, 76 million cubic metres of salt water for flushing was supplied.

The Lok On Pai desalting plant remained shut down in 1979: planned maintenance and 'mothballing' were being carried out.

During the year, planning studies to improve water supplies to Kowloon Bay reclamation, Kwun Tong, Lam Tin, Ho Man Tin, Ma Tau Wai, Ma Tau Kok, King's Park, Hung Hom, Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and North Point were completed. Further water supply proposals to cater for the developing New Territories' centres of Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Sheung Shui, Fanling, Sai Kung and Mui Wo were made. Detailed investigations were undertaken to improve the capacity of treatment works at Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Shek Lei Pui; the trunk feed system to the north-eastern part of Hong Kong Island; and the capacity of the Plover Cove supply tunnels and aqueducts at Tai Po Tau. A series of pilot plant tests was conducted to assess the feasibility and economic viability of desalting saline water by means of reverse osmosis, and reclaiming secondary treated sewage effluent and substandard waters by means of advanced waste-water treat- ment. Design works were in hand for improving the water supply to Sai Kung, Chai Wan, Cheung Chau, Tai O and Cheung Sha.