XN000022-1978-04-26 — Page 37

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1978

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PLANS TO IMPROVE SALT WATER QUALITY IN KWUN TONG

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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WATER AT THE KWUN TONG SALT WATER INTAKE BY AERATION AND THE INSTALLATION OF MICRO-STRAINERS.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE REV. THE HON. JOYCE M. BENNETT AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE ONLY FILTERING SYSTEM USED AT THE SALTWATER INTAKES AT PRESENT WAS A COARSE SCREENING MEANT FOR PREVENTING LARGE SOLIDS AND DEBRIS FROM ENTERING THE SYSTEM WHEN WATER WAS BEING EXTRACTED FROM THE SEA.

THE SYSTEM, HE ADDED, WAS SUBJECT TO REGULAR EXAMINATION, MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING SO THAT IT FULFILLED ITS DESIGNED PURPOSE.

MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT DUE TO DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA, THE QUALITY OF THE SEA WATER AT THE KWUN TONG INTAKE HAD DETERIORATED SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO,

+MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WATER TAKEN INTO SUPPLY, BY AERATION AND THE INSTALLATION OF MICRO-STRAINERS, ARE BEING INVESTIGATED AND IF FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE WILL BE ADOPTED, HE SAID.

+HOWEVER, IF NO PRACTICAL SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND, THE PUMPING STATION AND INTAKE WILL BE RESITED TO A LOCATION WHERE THE SEA WATER IS OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY.+

IN ANSWER TO ANOTHER QUESTION BY MISS BENNETT, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE RESERVOIR AT JORDAN VALLEY WAS TO STORE RAIN WATER FALLING IN THE CATCHMENT AREA ABOVE IT, IN ORDER TO AUGMENT THE SEA WATER SUPPLY PUMPED FROM KWUN TONG.

AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE CATCHMENT AREA, HE SAID, EXTENSIVE SILTING HAD OCCURRED AND THE EFFLUENT DISCHARGED FROM THE DEVELOPMENT HAD CAUSED THE WATER QUALITY TO DETERIORATE.

+OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE QUALITY HAS DETERIORATED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT WATER FROM THIS SOURCE CANNOT BE USED OTHER THAN AFTER VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WHEN DILUTION HAS IMPROVED THE WATER QUALITY TO AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.

+CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO USING THIS VALLEY AS A CONTROLLED TIP FOR REFUSE AND, IF THIS PROCEEDS, THE RESERVOIR WILL BE RELINGUISHED AND A NEW SALT WATER RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTED TO REPLACE IT. +

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