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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1974.
LIFTING OF WATER RESTRICTIONS, A TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT
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THE WATERWORKS OFFICE TODAY ISSUED A REMINDER THAT THE CONTINUATION OF FULL WATER SUPPLIES 15, AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED, A TEMPORARY MEASURE.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE WATERWORKS OFFICE SAID THAT WITH SEVERAL RESERVOIRS STILL OVERFLOWING IT WOULD CLEARLY BE STUPID NOT TO ALLOW FULL SUPPLY FOR THE TIME BEING, SINCE MANY CONSUMERS COULD BE SUPPLIED FROM OVERFLOW.
+TO HAVE REIMPOSED RESTRICTIONS,+ SAID THE SPOKESMAN, +WOULD HAVE MEANT INCREASING THE OVERFLOW ON SOME RESERVOIRS - IN EFFECT, DIVERTING WATER FROM CONSUMERS TO OVERFLOW. AS IT AND, IS, THE WATER IS BEING USED, AND NOT LOST.+
THE SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT THE EARLIER CONTINUATION OF FULL SUPPLIES OVER THE WEEKEND, WAS BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE WEATHER FOLLOWING IN THE WAKE OF TYPHOON CARMEN. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NO GOOD TURNING OFF, HE EXPLAINED, IF WATERWORKS OFFICE STAFF WERE NOT SURE THAT THE WEATHER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO TURN ON AGAIN LATER.
HE ADDED THAT WHILE A FINAL DECISION ON WHAT LEVEL OF RESTRICTIONS WOULD BE NECESSARY THROUGH THE DRY SEASON COULD NOT BE MADE YET, +WE MUST FACE UP TO THE FACT THAT SOME RESTRICTIONS, THOUGH AT A FAR MORE MODEST LEVEL THAN THOSE PLANNED EARLIER, ARE STILL LIKELY TO BE NEEDED.+
THE STORAGE LEVEL AT PLOVER COVE, HONG KONG'S LARGEST RESERVOIR, WAS STILL THE KEY FACTOR IN THE SITUATION. +ALL OUR OTHER RESERVOIRS ARE FULL-BUT PLOVER COVE ACCOUNTS FOR SO MUCH OF THE SUPPLY CAPACITY FOR THE WHOLE TERRITORY THAT THE FACT THAT IT IS STILL ONLY AT SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF CAPACITY CANNOT BE DISREGARDED.
+FURTHER, OUR PRESENT STORAGE TOTAL IS PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE IF WE REMEMBER THAT, EVEN TAKING TODAY'S LATEST FIGURE OF 48,017 MILLION GALLONS, WE HAD MORE THAN THAT THIS TIME LAST YEAR IN PLOVER COVE ALONE.+
J
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