XN000022-1977-09-03 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1977

HK'S DRINKING WATER IS TOP QUALITY

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HONG KONG ENJOYS AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS DRINKING WATER, THE P.W.D.'S SENIOR WATERWORKS CHEMIST, MR. DEREK MAKER, SAID TODAY.

+DESPITE ITS RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND HIGH POPULATION DENSITY HONG KONG ENJOYS A REPUTATION FOR HAVING A WATER SUPPLY OF QUALITY WHICH COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THAT OF CITY SUPPLIES IN FULLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,+ HE SAID.

MR. MAKER, WHO HEADS THE WATER QUALITY CONTROL UNIT, SAID THAT +OUR ROUTINE MONITORING INDICATES THAT OVER 99 PER CENT OF TAP SAMPLES ARE OF FIRST-CLASS BACTERIOLOGICAL PURITY WHILE THE CHANCES OF DANGEROUS ORGANISMS BEING PRESENT IN SUB-STANDARD TAP SAMPLES ARE INDEED EXTREMELY REMOTE.+

+TO ENSURE THAT TARGET STANDARDS ARE MAINTAINED, HE ADDED, +WATER QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SUPPLY SYSTEM IS CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED BY THE CHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF WATER SAMPLES AT INTAKES, STORAGE RESERVOIRS, TREATMENT WORKS, SERVICE RESERVOIRS, TRUNK MAINS AND CONSUMERS TAPS.+

+ABOUT 4,000 SAMPLES ARE LABORATORY TESTED EVERY MONTH BY THE WATER QUALITY CONTROL UNIT, OF WHICH SOME 1,000 ARE TAKEN FROM TAPS,+ MR. MAKER SAID.

HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT HONG KONG WAS FORTUNATE IN HAVING TWO IMPORTANT FACTORS IN ITS FAVOUR WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE GENERAL QUALITY OF ITS WATER RESOURCES, PRIOR TO PURIFICATION TREATMENT.

+FIRSTLY THE BULK OF OUR SUPPLY IS DERIVED FROM PROTECTED UPLAND CATCHMENT AREAS WHERE POLLUTION ARISING FROM MAN'S ACTIVITIES IS VERY LOW, AND SECONDLY, SUBSEQUENT STORAGE OF WATER IN RESERVOIRS PERMITS A DEGREE OF NATURAL SELF-PURIFICATION DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF SEDIMENTATION, AERATION AND SUNLIGHT.

+FURTHERMORE DUE TO LOCAL GEOLOGY, OUR NATURAL WATER RESOURCES ARE BOTH SOFT AND LOW IN MINERAL CONTENT.

+ IN ADDITION, THE SUPPLY WE RECEIVE FROM CHINA, ALTHOUGH UNTREATED, IS OF COMPARABLY GOOD QUALITY, WHILE PRODUCT WATER FROM THE LOK ON PAI DESALTER, BEING DISTILLED WATER, IS EXTREMELY PURE,+ HE SAID.

THEREFORE, MR. MAKER SAID THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT WAS OFF TO A FLYING START IN ENSURING THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG RECEIVED A PURE WATER SUPPLY.

+THUS AFTER PURIFICATION TREATMENT AT OUR WATERWORKS WHERE THE RAW WATER IS CLARIFIED, FILTERED, STERILISED AND FLUOR IDATED, THE FINAL SUPPLY EASILY CONFORMS TO STRINGENT QUALITY STANDARDS FOR DRINKING WATER RECOMMENDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION.

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