Reservoir

1863, the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir; expanded to current capacity of 68 million gallons in 1871


In 1863, the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir and the first water main from Pok Fu Lam Reservoir to Bonham Road was built. However, the storage capacity of the reservoir was reduced from the original 30 million gallons to 2 million gallons (equivalent to 9,000 m3). The Pok Fu Lam Reservoir could at best provide 4 days of water to the community. Once completed the reservoir was found to be grossly inadequate. In 1871 the expansion project of the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir was commenced. In 1877, after the completion of several expansion projects, the reservoir’s capacity had increased to 68 million gallons, which was 34 times of its capacity originally built.

Reservoirs in Hong Kong

Reservoir / year in supply / storage capacity (m3)
Pok Fu Lam / 1877 / 233,000
Tai Tam Upper / 1889 / 1,490,000
Tai Tam Byewash / 1904 / 80,000
Tai Tam Intermediate / 1907 / 686,000
Kowloon / 1910 / 1,578,000
Tai Tam Tuk / 1917 / 6,047,000
Shek Lei Pui / 1925 / 374,000
Reception / 1926 / 121,000
Aberdeen (2 Res.) / 1931 / 1,259,000
Kowloon Byewash / 1931 / 800,000
Shing Mun (Jubilee) / 1936 / 13,279,000
Tai Lam Chung / 1957 / 20,490,000
Shek Pik / 1963 / 24,461,000
Lower Shing Mun / 1965 / 4,299,000
Plover Cove / 1968 / 229,729,000
High Island / 1978 / 281,124,000

Photo caption: Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Masonry Bridge; grade II listed building