Kowloon Reservoir

Reservoir in New Territories, Hong Kong

22°21′14″N 114°09′12″E / 22.35381°N 114.15323°E / 22.35381; 114.15323Lake typereservoirBuilt1906; 118 years ago (1906)Water volume1,578,000 cubic metres (55,700,000 cu ft)

Kowloon Reservoir

Traditional Chinese

九龍水塘

Simplified Chinese

九龙水塘

Literal meaning

Nine Dragons Reservoir

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Jiǔ lóng shuǐ táng
Hakka
Romanization	Geo2 Lung4 Sêü2 Tong4
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Gáu lùhng séui tòhng
Jyutping	Gau2 lung4 seoi2 tong4

Kowloon Reservoir, part of the Kowloon Group of Reservoirs, is a reservoir in Sha Tin District, Hong Kong, located within the Kam Shan Country Park. The total water storage capacity is 353 million gallons and the total cost of construction was $619,000.^[1]

History

Establishment

In 1898, the British took over the New Territories and New Kowloon and the Public Works Department immediately sent engineering teams to explore water sources. However, the team found suitable valleys to build reservoirs in the west of Beacon Hill and south of Needle Hill. Construction for Kowloon Reservoir commenced in 1901 and it was completed in 1910, making it the first reservoir in the New Territories.^[2]

Further expansion

Expansion of the Kowloon Reservoir began in 1922. It aimed to expand the filtration plant in order to have a daily output of 3.58 million gallons of water; enlarge the catchment area; and improve the dams’ walls. After the expansion, the Kowloon Reservoir provided 1.5 million gallons of water to the locals daily.^[3]

Effect on locals

The completion of the Kowloon Reservoir reduced the locals’ dependence on getting water from wells. The locals got water from the reservoir. This led to the decline of the Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station.^[3]

References

^ "WSD - Kowloon Reservoir". Water Supplies Department. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
^ "Hong Kong Water Supply – Kowloon Reservoir – The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group". The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (2006-10-17). Central Ridge and West (in English and Chinese). Hong Kong: Cosmos Books Limited. p. 104. ISBN 9882113273.