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FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1975
HONG KONG'S DESALTER AROUSES KEEN INTEREST AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESALTING
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HONG KONG'S DESALTER, WHICH RECENTLY STARTED TO PRODUCE FRESH WATER FROM THE SEA, AROUSED KEEN INTEREST AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DESALTING IN PUERTO RICO LAST MONTH, A WATERWORKS OFFICE ENGINEER SAID TODAY.
MR. WU YU-NGONG, ACTING GOVERNMENT WATER ENGINEER (DESALTING), TOLD THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG ISLAND WEST THAT THE İNTENSE INTEREST SHOWN IN THE 40 MILLION GALLONS A DAY DESALTER AT LOK ON PAI HAD COME AS SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE TO HIM.
+WE HERE HAVE GOT USED TO THE IDEA THAT IT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST DESALTER AND PERHAPS WE TEND TO TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. BUT THE AMERICAN AND OTHER ENGINEERS AT THE CONFERENCE HAD ENDLESS QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT THE PLANT AND IT WAS BIG NEWS TO THEM THAT THE FIRST EVAPORATOR UNIT IS NOW UNDER TEST AND IS YIELDING FRESH WATER.
THE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE, HELD IN PONCE, PUERTO RICO, FROM APRIL 23 TO 25, WAS CONVENED BY THE AMERICAN-BASED INTERNATIONAL DESALTING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION.
HONG KONG WAS REPRESENTED AT IT BY MR. WU AND BY MR. FRANK DRAKE OF BINNIE AND PARTNERS, THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS WHO DID THE DESIGN WORK FOR THE LOK ON PÀI PLANT,
IN A REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE, THE LATEST MAY ISSUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL +WATER DESALINATION REPORT+ COMMENTS PROMINENTLY ON THE HONG KONG DESALTER.
ONE PASSAGE READS=
+HU GAVE DETAILS OF THE RIGID PERFORMANCE TESTS WHICH EACH UNIT MUST PASS : (1) A 24-HOUR CAPACITY-EFFICIENCY EVAPORATOR TEST RUN- (2) SIX MONTHS OF CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE, TO ENSURE LONG-TERM OUTPUT IS REASONABLY MAINTAINED AND (3) A FINAL EFFICIENCY TEST TO SHOW THAT THE FUEL REQUIREMENT HAS DEEN MET FOR THE COMPLETE PLANT AND ALL ITS MAJOR COMPONENTS.
+SOME PLANTS BEAM PROBLEMATICAL PERSONALITIES, WHILE OTHERS EXUDE A SWEET SERENITY AND SENSE THAT ALL'S WELL. FOR HONG KONG IT'S THE LATTER, EVERY QUESTIONER AT THE CONFERENCE WAS IMPRESSED BY WU AND FRANK DRAKE AND THEIR QUIET, CONFIDENT MANNER.+
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