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WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1975
WASTAGE OF WATER REDUCED
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THE WASTE DETECTION UNIT OF THE WATERWORKS OFFICE WHICH COSTS GOVERNMENT $1.41 MILLION A YEAR TO RUN, IS SAVING ABOUT FOUR MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY, WHICH REPRESENTS AT LEAST $4.38 MILLION PER YEAR IN REVENUE.
THE UNIT THEREFORE REPAYS ITS COST THREEFOLD.
HOWEVER, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, SAID THAT INVESTIGATIONS WERE IN HAND (AND WOULD BE COMPLÉTED LATER THIS YEAR) TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM STAFFING AND OPERATING LEVELS AT WHICH THE UNIT SHOULD WORK FOR THE GREATEST ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY.
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG WHO ASKED WHAT STEPS IS GOVERNMENT TAKING TO REDUCE THE WASTAGE OF WATER AND LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO THEFT.
MR. MCDONALD POINTED OUT THAT LOSS OF WATER OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS.
+TO REDUCE THE LOSS, HE SAID, THE UNIT, WORKING LARGELY AT NIGHT OVER EACH AREA IN TURN, MONITORS WATER FLOW IN THE DISTRIBUTION MAINS, NOTES FLUCTUATIONS IN FLOW WHICH INDICATE LEAKS, AND SEEKS OUT AND REPAIRS THE LEAKS.+
REFERRING TO THEFT OF WATER, MR. MCDONALD SAID, IT COULD BE CARRIED OUT WITHIN A CONSUMER'S PREMISES BY ADOPTION OF MEANS TO BY-PASS THE METER OR BY MEANS OF ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, OFTEN TO PUBLIC STANDPIPES.
+WHEN SUCH ILLEGALITIES COME TO LIGHT IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL INSPECTIONS BY WATERWORKS STAFF, ACTION IS TAKEN TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION AND TO BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES WHERE POSSIBLE,+ HE ADDED.
+UNFORTUNATELY, UNLESS THE ILLEGALITY IS CLEARLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO SOME PERSON, CHARGES CANNOT BE BROUGHT AND THE WATERWORKS OFFICE'S POWER IS LIMITED TO DISCONNECTION OF THE ILLEGAL APPARATUS.+
MR. MCDONALD SAID PROPOSALS HAD THEREFORE BEEN FORMULATED FOR THE SETTING UP, WITHIN WATERWORKS OFFICE, OF A SPECIAL PROSECUTIONS UNIT WHOSE MAIN DUTIES WOULD BE TO INVESTIGATE ILLEGALITIES AND ASSEMBLE INFORMATION WHICH WOULD ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF ACTION AGAINST OFFENDERS AND TO PURSUE SUCH ACTION THROUGH THE COURTS.
A PAPER EMBODYING THESE PROPOSALS IS NOW BEING PREPARED AND WILL SHORTLY BE SUBMITTED TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARIAT.
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