Sham Shui Po Reservoir Gets Grade 1 Status

The Antiquities Advisory Board on Thursday decided to categorise a recently rediscovered underground reservoir in Sham Shui Po as a Grade 1 historic building, advising the government to make every effort to preserve it.

The board said the reservoir’s Romanesque granite arches are “very rare” and have been preserved well over a century.

Board members also agreed that it has high historical value as it witnessed the change of water supply system in Kowloon from a pumping system to gravity distribution.

Experts said the new system increased water supply to Kowloon in the early 1900s, and had a substantial impact on development, for example, by speeding up the introduction of fire hoses.

The reservoir has been called the Bishop Hill reservoir, but experts said they could only find evidence for the structure being called the “Mission Hill reservoir”.

Board chairman Douglas So said it was “very exciting and happy” day for heritage lovers to see unanimous support for the grading.

Demolition of the pre-war ex-Sham Shui Po service reservoir – commonly known as the Mission Hill reservoir – was halted in December after a public outcry.

Also approved for Grade 1 historic status was the Ex-Yaumatei Service Reservoir. Three cisterns – at the Peak, Mount Gough and Albany Road – will also be assessed by the Antiquities Advisory Board within the year

So said it was too early to say whether the Sham Shui Po reservoir would get a higher protection status, by being graded a declared monument.

“We look forward to have to consider the heritage value and grading of the other three reservoirs, then we will have discussions to see if we are ready to make a recommendation for the government to consider whether one or more than one of these service reservoirs should be considered as monuments,” So said.

One board member said a structure’s value should not be seen in isolation, but rather in the context of the whole of Kowloon’s, or even Hong Kong’s, water supply system.

Should a Grade 1 historic structure reach “the highest threshold”, the board would recommend it to the Development Bureau, and it would be gazetted as a declared monument after seeking approval from the Chief Executive.

Meanwhile, the Development Bureau said it would partially re-open the site of the former Sham Shui Po reservoir to the public if reinforcement work makes the structure safe.

It also promised to look into a long-term preservation and revitalisation plan for the reservoir, without disclosing further details.

Public and experts can access the research and data online and give opinions on how to preserve the structures in the coming month.

But the board warned the public not to sneak into the reservoirs, especially the one in Yau Ma Tei, as the enclosed areas contain marsh gas. Staff visiting the site have to obtain a licence first.