MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1975
HONG KONG PRODUCES ITS FIRST DESALTED WATER
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HONG KONG HAS STARTED TO PRODUCE FRESH WATER FROM THE SEA IN THE COURSE OF TRIAL OPERATIONS OF THE NO. 1 EVAPORATOR OF THE DESALTER AT LOK ON PAI.
CONFIRMING THIS TODAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE WATERWORKS OFFICE SAID THAT FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE STEAM AVAILABLE TO OPERATE THE FIRST OF THE PLANT'S SIX UNITS. AND THEREFORE THE BOILING OUT OF THE NO. 1 BOILER WAS BEGUN IN LATE DECEMBER.
THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE METICULOUS TESTING OF ALL ITEMS OF MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. FINALLY CAME THE TRIAL RUN OF THE NO. 1 EVAPORATOR, WHICH BEGAN IN MARCH.
+OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS+, SAID THE SPOKESMAN, WE HAVE BEEN DESALTING ON A TEST BASIS AND AT TIMES THE UNIT HAS BEEN PRODUCING ITS FULL CAPACITY OF 6-2/3 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER A DAY.
+THIS HAS GONE INTO TAI LAM CHUNG RESERVOIR AND PEOPLE IN TSUEN VAN, TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG WILL ALREADY HAVE BEEN DRINKING OR USING WATER WITH A VERY SMALL DESALTED ELEMENT IN IT.+
WHEN ALL SIX UNITS ARE OPERATIONAL; THE DESALTER WILL HAVE A CAPACITY OF 40 MILLION GALLONS A DAY, PROVIDING HONG KONG WITH AN + INSURANCE+ DEVICE AGAINST THE WORST EFFECTS OF ANY SEVERE DROUGHT WHICH COULD HIT THE TERRITORY.
BUT IT WILL ONLY BE RUN AT FULL CAPACITY TO MEET SUCH A SITUATION. ITS USE WILL NORMALLY BE KEPT LOW, WITH THE NUMBER UNITS IN OPERATION VARYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEMAND.
THE SUPERINTENDING ENGINEER OF THE PLANT, MR. E.J. EVANS, SAID TODAY THAT THE TESTS, WHICH ARE CONTINUING, HAD TO DE VERY THOROUGH.
+APART FROM BEING THE LARGEST DESALTER IN THE WORLD, THE PLANT WE'VE GOT HERE AT LOK ON PAI REQUIRES HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROL GEAR. THERE ARE BOUND TO BE A FAIR NUMBER OF OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS TO SORT OUT, AND THIS IS WHY EACH UNIT HAS TO BE SUDJECTED TO A SIX-MONTH TRIAL. THIS PROCESS OF RIGOROUS TESTING IS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN THE WHOLE PLANT IS HANDED OVER, IT IS UP TO THE HIGHEST OPERATIONAL STANDARDS.+
TESTING OF THE FIRST UNIT SHOULD DE COMPLETED AROUND SEPTEMBER. BUT BEFORE THEN TESTS WILL HAVE STARTED ON THE SECOL UNIT, WITH SUCCESSIVE UNITS COMING UNDER TEST AT ROUGHLY THREE-MONTII INTERVALS. ALL UNITS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TESTED, AND THE PLANT FULLY COMMISSIONED, BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
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