Topic:

Technical Seminar and Webinar on Heritage Waterworks on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula

Organizer：

Materials Division

Date, Time & Venue

14 March 2022 (Monday). Time: 6:30pm -8:00 pm, at Chan Yat Mei Sophie Room, 9/F of the HKIE Headquarters.

Speaker:

Dr. Poon is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Hong Kong. He is a Chartered Structural Engineer, a Corporate Member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and a Member of Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.

He worked in consulting firms before commencing teaching and research at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The National University of Singapore and The University of Hong Kong.

His research areas initially include temporary works design and construction, and investigation of accidents and failures during construction. In the last two decades his research interest has focused on historic lighthouses and heritage waterworks.

Programme Highlights

Reliable supply of quality water is vital to residents’ well-being and sustainable development in Hong Kong, which has come in a no easy way in a place with steady increasing population but lack of large natural lakes or rivers. For over 160 years the engineers have been playing an important role in providing the necessary waterworks for such achievement. 

Inspired by the accidental discovery of the Bishop Hill service reservoir and its resonance, this talk aims to take a retrospective view over a spectrum of heritage waterworks that have not only helped shaping Hong Kong but laid a sound foundation for subsequent upgrading and expansion in supplying potable water. Findings of the research is based on the study of archives of the earliest waterworks on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula between 1860 and 1912, and visits to these heritage works.

The origin of Hong Kong’s waterworks, and the historical and contemporary significance of the early waterworks are reviewed. Special attention is given to the design, construction and maintenance of facilities in connection with the earliest impounding reservoirs such as Pokfulam Reservoir, Tai Tam Waterworks Scheme, the Pumping Station at Yau Ma Tei, and Kowloon Gravitation Storage Reservoir.

Registration & Enquiries

The talk would be carried out on zoom (200 seats) arrangement. Registration is required. Please complete the application before 10 March 2022. Confirmation will be made through email by Individual. For enquiry, please contact Ir CS Lam at 91527659. Attendance Certificate will be issued within 3 weeks after completion of the seminar through email. Applicants please fill the online application form at the LINK -

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5kQw7CBTUfLUu_hkVcI-45tgEL6q4oCwdkrl9PkfBGe3WTw/viewform

Ir LAM Chi Sing

A webinar for the above topic was organized on 14 March 2022. The speaker Ir Dr. S.W. Poon shared his engineering experience with his research, knowledge and old historical map to deliver the talk. In 1841, the water supply was come from natural streams or wells in different areas such as Bowrington Canal, Wong Nei Chung /Happy Valley. Around 1860s, two water tanks were shown on map at Bonham’s Road and Robinson Road. With the increased population and development of commerce and industry, Water Ordinance approved 30,000 pounds for Victoria water works, 10-inch diameter pipe was built for Western and Central, while the Eastern part of Hong Kong Island was served by streams when Pokfulam reservoir was completed. Winter drought happened in 1865, so Pokfulam reservoir was expanded, four filter beds and service reservoir were constructed of concrete, cladded with stone and the cover was supported by brick arching on masonry piers. The conduit of brick masonry and CI siphons cross five ravines were built. In 1880-1890 Taitam reservoir was built and other service reservoirs were also constructed. Four private reservoirs were constructed by entrepreneurs for their own manufacturing use. After 1890 six cast iron tanks were built in Peak District. In 1896, Bowen Road filters beds and service reservoir connected to Tai Tam Conduit and supply water to the eastern part of Hong Kong Island. In 1914, Elliot six filters beds and service reservoir were built to connect with water from Tai Tam Tuk.

In 1890s, three wells were built in Kowloon peninsula to serve people in Yau Ma Tei, Hunghom and Kowloon city. They were built below ground and connected by cast iron pipes to a storage tank for the distribution network. The wells were finished in Dec 1895 with a planned capacity of 500,000 gallons per day. It was designed under Kowloon Gravitation Water Supply Scheme on storage reservoir project. In 1902, the circular service reservoir was built at Kowloon Tong, and a cast iron pipe of 12 inches in diameter was built below ground and connected to the storage reservoir. The last impounding reservoir was built at Discovery Bay Lantau in 1981.

Word 356.

Photo: Speaker Ir Dr SW POON (Top L1), Ir CS Lam (Top L2), Ir Professor Joseph Mak (Top L3). 

              Ir Anlam Tam (Bottom L1).