XN000022-1978-11-23 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1978

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF FUTURE WATER SUPPLY UNDER STUDY

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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME OF FEASIBILITY STUDIES AIMED AT IDENTIFYING ALL POSSIBLE SOURCES OF FUTURE SUPPLY AND TO EVALUATE THEIR WORTH IN TERMS OF RELIABILITY AND COST.

THIS WAS REVEALED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR. WILLIAM TUCKER, AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LION'S CLUB OF TAI PING SHAN.

THE STUDIES, HE SAID, INCLUDE THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL RESERVOIR STORAGE, DESALTING OF WATER BY THERMAL AND OTHER MEANS AND RESEARCH INTO THE TREATMENT OF WATER OF SUB-STANDARD QUALITY.

+WHAT WILL BE REVEALED BY THESE STUDIES REMAINS TO BE SEEN, BUT OVERLYING THEM ALL IS THE CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN BY THE CHINËSE AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDING EVEN FURTHER SUPPLIES OF WATER FROM CHINA, MR. TUCKER SAID.

+THIS IS A POSSIBILITY WHICH IS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE, BUT THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES WILL REQUIRE A MAJOR SCHEME, BECAUSE AFTER 1982 THE INCREMENTAL QUANTITIES OF ADDITIONAL WATER REQUIRED WILL BE GREAT AND NOT CAPABLE OF BEING DRAWN THROUGH THE PRESENT EAST RIVER-SHUM CHUN SYSTEM.+

IN VIEW OF THE ESCALATING COSTS, MR. TUCKER STRESSED THAT +FUTURE SCHEMES ARE UNLIKELY TO PRODÚCE ADDITIONAL WATER AT CHEAPER COST+.

HE ADDED THAT CAPITAL INVESTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUBSTANTIAL AND THE COSTS OF OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS FACILITIES EXPAND.

+IN SPITE OF THIS, THE AVERAGE BILL FOR THE HOUSEHOLDER AT PRESENT IS ONLY 20 CENTS PER DAY,+ HE SAID.

+HOWEVER, AS THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY INDICATED IN HIS SPEECH IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST THURSDAY (NOVEMBER 16), THERE IS AN OVERALL DEFICIT IN THE WATERWORKS ACCOUNTS AND THIS IS PROJECTED TO PERSIST. HENCE A REVISED TARIFF IS OVERDUE AND WILL PROBABLY BE INTRODUCED NEXT YEAR.+

TURNING TO NEW PROJECTS, MR. TUCKER SAID, UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT PRESENT ARE COMPLETELY NEW SUPPLY SYSTEMS TO SERVE THE NEW TOWNS OF SHA TIN, TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, YUEN LONG AND TSING YI WHILE ON HONG KONG ISLAND WORKS ARE IN HAND TO IMPROVE THE WATER SUPPLY TO POK FU LAM, STANLEY AND REPULSE BAY.

CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN SOON ON NEW SYSTEMS FOR THE FEI NGO SHAN AREA AND FOR AP LEI CHAU.

+TO MEET THE FUTURE EXPANSION OF THE NEW TOWNS TOGETHER WITH THE SMALLER MARKET AND RURAL TOWNS, FURTHER WATER SUPPLY PROPOSALS ARE BEING FORMULATED, HE SAID.

*****OSTY BAL+/