The Aberdeen Reservoirs

The Aberdeen Reservoirs (香港仔水塘) are a group of two reservoirs, consisting of the Upper Aberdeen Reservoir (香港仔上水塘) and the Lower Aberdeen Reservoir (香港仔下水塘),  above Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island.

The Aberdeen Reservoirs were built to augment Pok Fu Lam Reservoir in providing water supply to the west of Hong Kong Island. The Lower Aberdeen Reservoir, with a capacity of 44.2 million imperial gallons (201,000 m³), was originally a private reservoir owned by Tai Shing Paper Factory, built in 1890, [see our linked article below], which also provided water to nearby residents. The Government bought the reservoir at a price of HKD460,000 and expanded it to a capacity of 91 million imperial gallons (410,000 m³). At the same time, the Government built a new reservoir with a capacity of 175 million imperial gallons (800,000 m³) above the original one, increasing the total capacity to 266 million imperial gallons (1,210,000 m³). The reservoirs were officially opened on 15 December 1931 by Governor of Hong Kong William Peel, becoming the fourth and last reservoir group ever built on Hong Kong Island,  after Pok Fu Lam, Tai Tam and Wong Nai Chung [see our linked articles below.]

In 1977, a 4.23 square kilometre area around the reservoir was designated as Aberdeen Country Park, one of the earliest country parks in Hong Kong. 

A total of 41 pre-World War II waterworks structures located in six reservoir areas, namely Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs, Wong Nai Chung Reservoir, Kowloon Reservoir, Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir and Aberdeen Reservoir, were declared as monuments  in September 2009; the dam, a valve house and a bridge of the Aberdeen Upper Reservoir and a dam of the Aberdeen Lower Reservoir were declared as monuments in 2009.(1)

Nicholas Kitto has very kindly sent the nine photos shown here. Taken by Nicholas they are a small part of his superb collection of photographs which focus particularly on historical buildings in China and Hong Kong. For more information please see the link below.

Sources:

1. Aberdeen Reservoirs – wikipedia

See:

1. Nicholas Kitto’s website This Hong Kong based photographer specialises in historical buildings and landscapes, working primarily in the Greater China Region.
2. Antiquities & Monuments Office, Declared Monuments on HK Island – Aberdeen Reservoirs

This article was first posted on 7th December 2017.

Related Indhhk articles:

1. Tai Shing Paper Mill – builders of the Aberdeen Lower reservoir, 1890
2. Reservoir – High Island Reservoir
3. Reservoir – High Island Reservoir construction – HK Government publication – official statistics
4. Reservoir – Plover Cove – 1977 Water Supplies Dept report
5. Reservoir – Plover Cove – 50th anniversary of relocation of residents
6. Reservoir – Plover Cove Reservoir – photographs of official opening 1969
7. Reservoir – Shek Pik Reservoir construction – 2 submerged villages and 262 displaced villagers
8. Reservoir – Shek Pik, construction 
9. Reservoir – Shek Pik, Construction and Opening of, rare French film 1962
10. Reservoir – Shek Pik, Tai Long Wan resettlement village for some displaced residents
11. Reservoir – Shek Pik – Tai O Road construction link to end of Tai O salt production
12. Reservoir – Shek Pik Water Scheme, HK Government Report, 1963
13. Reservoir – Shing Mun, article from the late 1930s
14. Reservoir – Shing Mun, Cross harbour road tunnel – link to planning of SM reservoir, late 1920s?
15. Reservoir – Shing Mun (Jubilee)
16. Reservoir – Tai Lam Chung – first built post-WW2
17. Reservoir – Wong Nai Chung 
18. Reservoirs, Binnie & Partners, engineering consultancy, Hong Kong reservoirs and more…
19. Reservoirs, Forty one historic monuments at six of HK’s earliest reservoirs
20. Reservoirs, Shek Pik Reservoir – Construction
21. Reservoirs, The Tai Tam
22. Reservoirs, Tai Tam Upper Reservoir – Historic Building Appraisal
23. Reservoirs, Tai Tam Water Works – 1885 HK Government Report
24. Reservoirs – Water supply in HK – its history and past, current and potential future problems – SCMP article