XN000022-1977-06-24 — Page 4

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1977

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WATER STORAGE LEVEL STILL FALLING

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THE P.W.D.'S DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR. WILLIAM TUCKER, SAID TODAY THAT HONG KONG'S WATER STORAGE HAD FALLEN BY MORE THAN 1,700 MILLION GALLONS SINCE THE CURRENT WATER RESTRICTIONS CAME INTO EFFECT ON JUNE 1.

AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE, HE SAID, THE RESERVOIRS HELD 31,488 MILLION GALLONS OR 46.8 PER CENT OF THEIR TOTAL CAPACITY.

BY NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING STORAGE WAS DOWN TO 29,733 MILLION GALLONS ONLY 44.2 PER CENT OF TOTAL CAPACITY,

AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR STORAGE WAS 53,168 MILLION GALLONS, OR 79 PER CENT OF TOTAL CAPACITY.

MR. TUCKER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH MORE THAN 139,2 MM OF RAIN HAD FALLEN DURING THE PAST FIVE DAYS, WATER STORAGE LEVELS REMAINED FAR BELOW THOSE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WHEN STORAGE SHOULD BE GROWING SHARPLY.

IN FACT THEY WERE GETTING INCREASINGLY BELOW THE 33,405 MILLION GALLONS WHICH WERE IN THE RESERVOIRS ON OCTOBER 9, 1974 WHEN HONG KONG LAST BEGAN A 10-HOUR WATER SUPPLY.

MR. TUCKER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE +SAVE WATER DRIVE+ APPEARED TO HAVE ACHIEVED ITS INITIAL AIM OF A TEN PER CENT SAVING IN CONSUMPTION, THE LACK OF USEFUL RAINFALL YIELD MEANT THE SITUATION WAS STEADILY GROWING WORSE.

HE URGED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO MAINTAIN THEIR EFFORTS TO CONSERVE WATER.

MR. TUCKER SAID: THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT IS REVIEWING THE WATER SITUATION, AND WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE GOVERNMENT NEXT WEEK ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A NEED TO IMPOSE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS.+

IN THE MEANTIME, HE AGAIN APPEALED TO THE MANAGEMENTS OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR INTERNAL PUMPING SYSTEMS ARE IN GOOD WORK ING ORDER.

HE SAID SOME BUILDING MANAGEMENTS HAD APPARENTLY REMOVED SUCH SYSTEMS, WHICH WERE REQUIRED BY THE WATER AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE UPPER FLOORS WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO GET WATER WHEN MAINS PRESSURE WAS LOW PARTICULARLY DURING TIMES OF WATER RESTRICTIONS.

/+WITHOUT