XN000022-1974-09-03 — Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1974.

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DON'T WASTE WATER

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THE COMMUNITY WAS TODAY URGED TO ECONOMISE ON WATER CONSUMPTION AS HONG KONG APPROACHES THE DRY SEASON WITH THE WATER LEVELS IN THE RESERVOIRS AT THEIR LOUEST POINT IN FOUR YEARS.

WHILE THERE IS STILL HOPE THAT THE SITUATION MICHT EASE IN THE REMAINING KONTHS OF THE CURRENT VET SEASON, THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, IR. WILLIAN KNIGHT, EPHASISED THAT EVERY CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN NOU TO AVOID WASTE CF PRESENT SUPPLIES.

HE WARNED THAT +IF WE DON'T CET ANY SUBSTANTIAL FALLS IN THIS PERIOD, THEN WE SHALL HAVE TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUCH WATER TO SEE US THROUGH TO THE NEXT RAINY SEASON. QUITE RIGHTLY, ANY DECISION TO RESTRICT SUPPLY HAS TO BE TAKEN BY THE COVERNMENT AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS.+

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG. MR. KNIGHT SAID THAT AFTER FOUR YEARS OF ABUNDANT RAIN THE SITUATION HAD REVERSED DRAMATICALLY WITH RAINFALL FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS THIS YEAR DROPPING BY 28 PER CENT BELOW THE NORMAL AVERACE.

THE SITUATION MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, HE SAID, POINTING -OUT THAT THE PRESENT STORAGE OF 39,000 MILLION GALLONS WAS ONLY ABOUT 58 PER CENT OF OUR FULL CAPACITY OF 67,000 MILLION GALLONS.

MR. KNIGHT CITED TUO SIMPLE WAYS IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY COULD HELP AVOID WASTE: FIRST, DO NOT LEAVE TAPS RUNNING, AND SECOND, TAKE A SHOVER INSTEAD OF A BATH AS LESS WATER IS USED THIS WAY..

+SOME INDUSTRIES COULD ALSO DO THEIR PART BY VOLUNTARILY RESTRICTING OR RE-USING PART OF SUPPLY,+ HE SAID.

REFERRING TO WATER SUPPLIES FROM CHINA, WHICH NOW AMOUNT TO 18,500 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR, MR. KNICHT EMPHASISED THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT THERE IS AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF CHINA WATER TO DE TAPPED ON DEMAND.

+1 HOPE THAT WE SHALL BE ABLE TO GET MORE WATER FROM CHINA, BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT THE DELIVERY SYSTEM ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR ANY DRAMATIC INCREASE TO BE ADE QUICKLY WITHOUT EXCESSIVE MODIFICATIONS TO THE SYSTEM,+ HE SAID.

IN THE ABSENCE OF TRADITIONAL FRESH WATER SOURCES SUCH AS LAKES AND RIVERS, HONG KONG'S MAIN SOURCE FOR WATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN RAINFALL WHICH IS LARGELY CONFINED TO A SINGLE SEASON STRETCHING FROM MAY TO OCTOBER.

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/THE TASK