XN000022-1976-09-21 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1975.

LAI KING AREA IN N.T. GETS WATER SUPPLY

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TAP WATER CAME TO THE DEVELOPING LAI KING AREA IN THE

NEW TERRITORIES TODAY WHEN THE RETIRING DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR. BILL KNIGHT, PUSHED A BUTTON BRINGING A NEW WATER SUPPLY SCHEME INTO OPERATION.

THE SCHEME, WHICH INCLUDES A PUMPING STATION AND FRESH AND SALT WATER SERVICE RESERVOIRS, WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED BY THE P.W.D.'S WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT TO SERVE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THE HIGH LEVEL LAI CHI KOK RIDGE AND LAI KING HEADLAND AREAS WHICH ARE BEING DEVELOPED FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.

COSTING 3 MILLION, THE SCHEME WAS COMPLETED A FEW WEEKS AGO WELL AHEAD OF THE NEW LAI YIU ESTATE WHOSE 20,000 TENANTS WILL BE THE FIRST TO BENEFIT FROM THE NEW SUPPLY.

THE ESTATE IS NOW NEARING COMPLETION AND THE FIRST TENANTS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE IN BY DECEMBER.

OPENING THE NEW SUPPLY SYSTEM, MR. KNIGHT SAID ITS COMPLETION MARKED ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO EXTEND THE SUPPLY OF POTABLE WATER IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

HE SAID IT HAD BEEN NECESSARY TO BUILD THE PUMPING STATION AND THE TWO SERVICE RESERVOIRS BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT AREA WAS TOO HIGH TO BE REACHED BY WATER FROM EXISTING SYSTEMS.

*WITH THIS NEW SCHEME, RESIDENTS OF LAI YIU AS WELL AS THOSE OF OTHER HOUSING ESTATES AND INSTITUTIONS TO BE DEVELOPED IN THIS AREA, CAN NOW BE ASSURED OF A WHOLESOME AND ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF WATER FOR THEIR NEEDS, SAID MR. KNIGHT.

HE SAID THE RESIDENTS WOULD BE RECEIVING THE IR SUPPLY DIRECTLY FROM THE NEW FRESH WATER SERVICE RESERVOIR WHICH WOULD BE FED WITH WATER PUMPED FROM THE EXISTING TRUNK MAINS BELOW WHICH CONNECT WITH THE TSUEN WAN TREATMENT WORKS.

CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE SCHEME BEGAN IN MARCH LAST YEAR AND WAS CARRIED OUT BY THE SUN SUN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY UNDER THE OVERALL SUPERVISION OF THE P.W.D.'S WATERWORKS OFFICE WHICH SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED THE PUMPING EQUIPMENT.

THE FRESH WATER SERVICE RESERVOIR HAS A TOTAL CAPACITY OF FIVE MILLION LITRES. THE PUMPING STATION HOUSES TWO ELECTRIC PUMP SETS, EACH WITH AN OUTPUT OF NINE MILL FON LITRES PER DAY.

THE SALT WATER SERVICE RESERVOIR, WHICH WILL PROVIDE FLUSHING WATER SUPPLY TO THE AREA, HAS A CAPACITY OF 0.7 MILLION LITRES.

MR. KNIGHT SAID HE WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO INAUGURATE SUCH AN IMPORTANT WATER SCHEME ON THE EVE OF HIS RETIREMENT THIS MONTH AFTER 25 YEARS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

HE CONGRATULATED THE CONTRACTORS AND THE STAFF OF THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT FOR COMPLETING THE SCHEME IN GOOD TIME SO THAT THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THE AREA COULD BE ASSURED CF REGULAR SUPPLIES BEFORE MOVING IN.

MR. KNIGHT ALSO THANKED THE STAFF OF THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE LAND REQUIRED.

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