XN000022-1977-05-28 — Page 4

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1977

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NO LESS THAN 18 MAJOR RESERVOIRS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, AND AS EACH HAS GONE +ON STREAM+ THE BURGEONING POPULATION HAS PUSHED THE DEMAND FOR WATER ONE STEP AHEAD OF CAPACITY. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 1968 THE TERRITORY'S SUPPLY DEPENDED ON 16 LAND-BASED RESERVOIRS HOLDING A TOTAL OF 17,000 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER. THEN +PEOPLE PRESSURE+ PUSHED THE DEMAND FOR WATER UP TO SOMETHING LIKE 80,300 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR.

THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT SUBSEQUENTLY BUILT THE PLOVER COVE SCHEME, THE WORLD'S FIRST SEABED RESERVOIR, WHICH, BY 1973, HAD GATHERED A FRESHWATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF 51,000 MILLION GALLONS.

AFTER THAT CAME THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DESALINATION PLANT, THE LOK ON PAI FLASH EVAPORATOR, CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 40 MILLION GALLONS OF FRESH WATER A DAY. AND SINCE THEN, WORK ON A SECOND MAMMOTH SEABED RESERVOIR AT HIGH ISLAND HAS PROMISED ANOTHER VITAL 60,000 MILLION GALLONS OF FRESH WATER - BUT HIGH ISLAND IS JUST ABOUT TO BEGIN IMPOUNDING, OR STORING WATER, AND WITH THIS YEAR'S RAINFALL THE WAY IT IS

WATER SUPPLIES FROM CHINA'S KWANG TUNG AUTHORITIES, INITIATED IN 1964 AND INCOMING AT RATES INCREASING TO THEIR CURRENT LEVEL OF 24,000 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR, HAVE CERTAINLY HELPED THE SITUATION.

THE LATEST SUPPLY PERIOD RUNS OUT THIS COMING JULY, BUT WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE AGREEMENT WILL CONTINUE, AND THAT SUPPLY WILL BE RESUMED AS USUAL ON OCTOBER 1.

AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THIS MONTH, WATER SUPPLIES DIRECTOR MR. TUCKER INDICATED THAT ASIDE FROM EXISTING RESERVOIR STORAGE, HONG KONG'S FUTURE EXPANSION OF ITS WATER SUPPLY HINGED ON DESALINATION, WITH PROPOSED NEW DESALTERS UNDER STUDY. IN FACT, LAND HAS ALREADY BEEN SET ASIDE AT TUEN MUN NEW TOWN AS A POSSIBLE FUTURE DESALINATION SITE.

MR. TUCKER SAID HIGH ISLAND WAS DEFINITELY HONG KONG'S LAST MAJOR CONVENTIONAL RESERVOIR - THERE SIMPLY ISN'T A SUITABLE CATCHMENT AREA LEFT FOR ANOTHER PROJECT OF ITS SIZE. THERE WERE SOME MINOR UNDEVELOPED CATCHMENT AREAS STILL AVAILABLE, AND THESE MIGHT BE EXPLOITED, IF ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, BY 1982. AFTER THAT, THE TERRITORY'S WATER STORAGE CAPACITY WILL BE AT THE MERCY OF THE MONSOON RAINS,

AND WHILE HONG KONG'S WATER CONSUMPTION THIS YEAR STANDS AT AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 265 MILLION GALLONS A DAY, OR 96,725 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR, WATER SUPPLIES EXPERTS PREDICT THAT IT WILL INCREASE BY ABOUT SIX PER CENT PER ANNUM IN THE FUTURE. THAT REPRESENTS AN ADDED INITIAL 15 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY EACH YEAR FROM NOW ON.

BUT THEN, HONG KONG'S WATER SUPPLY ENGINEERS, LIKE THOSE IN MOST OTHER COUNTRIES, WOULD BE INDULGING IN PIPEDREAMS IF THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD SOLVE THE TERRITORY'S WATER PROBLEMS ENTIRELY. THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION JUST CANNOT BE ENVISAGED. BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THE TERRITORY IS EVER LIKELY TO RUN DRY.

/WATER