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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1978
SALT WATER FLUSHING SYSTEM BEING EXTENDED
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REDUCTION IN THE CONSUMPTION OF FRESH WATER FOR FLUSHING PURPOSES IS BEING ACHIEVED BY EXTENDING EXISTING AND CONSTRUCTING NEW SALT WATER SYSTEMS, THE HON, DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. MRS. KWAN KO SIU-WAH, HE SAID THE CURRENT QUANTITY OF FRESH WATER SUPPLIED FROM MAINS FOR FLUSHING PURPOSES WAS ABOUT 23,000 CUBIC METRES OR FIVE MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
HOWEVER, MR. MCDONALD ADDED THAT THERE WERE, AT PRESENT, 18 ITEMS RELATING TO SALT WATER SUPPLIES IN CATEGORY A OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AT VARIOUS STAGES OF COMPLETION, WITH A FURTHER 11 ITEMS IN CATEGORY B AND FOUR IN CATEGORY C.
+A PRIME CONSIDERATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SALT WATER SYSTEMS IS THE LOCATION OF THE SEA WATER INTAKE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE QUALITY OF WATER FOR DISTRIBUTION, HE EXPLAINED.
+
+ IN A NUMBER OF CASES SUITABLE SITES ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL RECLAMATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND SO THE ADVANCEMENT
OF ITEMS IN THE PROGRAMME IS GEARED TO THE TIMING OF THE RECLAMATION WORKS.+
MR. MCDONALD ADDED, HOWEVER, FOR AREAS WHERE SUBSTANTIAL LOCAL ISED DEMANDS WERE ARISING OR WERE LIKELY TO ARISE BEFORE THE PERMANENT INTAKE AND ASSOCIATED WORKS COULD BE COMPLETED,
A STUDY WAS IN HAND TO DETERMINE WHETHER INTERIM MEASURES COULD BE INTRODUCED TO MINIMISE THE CONSUMPTION OF FRESH WATER.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IN CERTAIN HIGH LEVEL SITUATIONS OR AREAS OF SMALL LOCALISED DEMAND, IT WOULD BE UNECONOMIC TO PROVIDE SEPARATE SALT WATER FLUSHING SYSTEMS AND THERE MIGHT, THEREFORE, ALWAYS BE A SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY USING FRESH WATER FOR FLUSHING.
THE QUANTITY OF WATER USED IN THESE SITUATIONS AT PRESENT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 4,500 CUBIC METRES OR ONE MILLION GALLONS A DAY, MR. MCDONALD ́ ADDED.
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