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Infrastructure Development and Heritage Conservation
Water Supplies
Water from Guangdong
Hong Kong has been receiving raw water from Dongjiang since 1965 and is now Hong Kong's major source of raw water. To accommodate seasonal fluctuations in the local yield, the January 2012 agreement for Dongjiang water supply maintains flexibility in the daily supply rate, securing a reliable source of supply of high quality fresh water to Hong Kong and avoiding wastage of precious water resources. About 710 million cubic meters of water was imported from Dongjiang in 2012.
Water Storage and Consumption
Full supply was maintained throughout the year. At the end of 2012, some 370 million cubic metres of water was in storage, with Hong Kong's two largest reservoirs, High Island and Plover Cove, holding a total of around 320 million cubic metres. Rainfall of around 1,900 millimetres was recorded in 2012.
The average daily supply of fresh water in 2012 was around 2.6 million cubic metres. Some 940 million cubic metres of fresh water was consumed in 2012 and around 270 million cubic metres of salt water was supplied for toilet flushing.
Total Water Management
The Government's Total Water Management strategy aims to manage water demand and supply in an integrated, multi-sectoral and sustainable manner. The key initiatives on water demand management include implementation of active leakage control, pressure management, extension of the use of sea water for toilet flushing, stepping up public education on water conservation and promotion of the use of water saving devices. In 2012, the Government continued the voluntary Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme on showerheads for bathing, water taps and washing machines and extended it to cover urinal equipment.
To manage water supply, the Government initiated a planning and investigation study for a desalination plant at Tseung Kwan O and continued to study a proposal to supply reclaimed water from Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works to Sheung Shui, Fanling and New Development Areas in the north-eastern part of the New Territories for toilet flushing and other non-potable uses. The Government also commissioned a consultancy study on promoting the re-use of grey water and rainwater harvesting.
Water Works
The replacement and rehabilitation programme involves some 3,000 kilometres of old water mains. The works completed so far, coupled with proactive leakage control and pressure management measures, have considerably reduced the number of burst mains from around 2,500 cases in 2000 to about 260 cases in 2012. The leakage rate has also been significantly reduced from 25 per cent in 2001 to 18 per cent in 2012. The entire works programme is scheduled to complete by the end of 2015.
The first part of the works to expand Tai Po Water Treatment Works and its ancillary water transfer facilities was completed in 2011 and the second part of the works are scheduled to
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