XN000022-1977-10-05 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1977

WATER RESTRICTIONS TO REMAIN FOR TIME BEING

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THE PRESENT WATER RESTRICTIONS WILL NOT BE RELAXED UNLESS THERE IS UNUSUAL RAINFALL IN THE AUTUMN AND WINTER, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY.

REVIEWING THE WATER SITUATION AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR MURRAY SAID THAT WHEREAS THE RESERVOIRS SHOULD BE MORE OR LESS FULL AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, PRESENT STORAGE IN FACT WAS ONLY 44,442 MILLION GALLONS- 59.6 PER CENT OF TOTAL CAPACITY OR 68 PER CENT OF THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

THE STORAGE FIGURE, HE POINTED OUT, INCLUDED THE GENEROUS ADDITION OF 3,400 MILLIÓN GALLONS FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WHO MAINTAINED A HIGHER RATE OF DELIVERY IN JUNE AND JULY AND EXTENDED THE NORMAL SUPPLY PERIOD FOR A MONTH IN ORDER TO HELP US OUT.

AT THE SAME TIME, HONG KONG'S NEWEST AND BIGGEST RESERVOIR AT HIGH ISLAND WAS WAITING TO STORE RAINFALL, BUT IT REMAINS SADLY EMPTY+, HE ADDED.

+AT PRESENT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT RAIN WILL FALL DURING THE REST OF THE AUTUMN AND WINTER, NOR DO WE KNOW WHETHER NEXT SUMMER'S RAIN WILL BE EARLY OR LATE, NORMAL OR ABNORMAL, HE SAID.

+THIS IS, THEREFORE, NO TIME TO TAKE RISKS IN SO IMPORTANT A MATTER, AND UNLESS THERE IS UNUSUAL RAINFALL IN THE AUTUMN AND WINTER, YOUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO RELAX PRESENT RESTRICTIONS.+

THE GOVERNOR SAID THE PRESENT RESTRICTION OF 10 HOURS SUPPLY A DAY FOR DOMESTIC CONSUMERS HAD REDUCED CONSUMPTION TO 225 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.

ALTHOUGH 10 HOURS A DAY WAS EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT, HE SAID, IT WAS SUPPORTABLE, BUT TIGHTER RESTRICTIONS COULD BE MUCH HARDER TO BEAR, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS WHERE PRESSURE TAKES LONGER TO BUILD UP.

*WE THEREFORE WISH TO RUN NO RISK OF HAVING TO IMPOSE THEM.

SIR MURRAY SAID THIS WAS AN UNUSUALLY BAD SITUATION BUT THERE WERE TWO PLUS POINTS IN OUR PROSPECTS.

+FIRSTLY, WE CAN COUNT ON 1,000 MILLION GALLONS A MONTH FROM THE DESALTER REGARDLESS OF RAIN.

/+SECONDLY,