XN000022-1979-06-12 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1979

INCREASE IN NUMBER OF WATER CONSUMERS

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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS RECORDED AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF 5,000 REGISTERED CONSUMERS PER MONTH DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS.

ACCORDING TO LATEST STATISTICS, THERE WERE 840,000 REGISTERED CONSUMERS AT THE END OF MAY, COMPARED WITH AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, AND 720,000 IN MAY 1977.

780,000

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT ATTRIBUTED THE STEADY INCREASE TO THE BUILDING BOOM AND GRADUAL INCREASE IN POPULATION IN HONG KONG.

HE SAID: +NATURALLY THE WORKLOAD HAS HAD ITS EFFECT THE ALREADY HARD-PRESSED STAFF OF THIS DEPARTMENT.

*THE INCREASE ALSO AFFECTED THE AVERAGE DAILY WATER CONSUMPTION IN HONG KONG WHICH HAS RISEN BY MORE THAN EIGHT PER CENT TO 1,237 MILLION CUBIC METRES A DAY LAST MONTH COMPARED WITH 1.141 MILLION CUBIC METRES A DAY IN MAY LAST YEAR.

+HOWEVER, WITH OUR INCREASED WATER STORAGE AND TREATMENT FACILITIES, WE ARE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE SITUATION.

+AS FAR AS WATER SUPPLY IS CONCERNED OUR PRESENT STORAGE POSITION IS GOOD SO FAR THIS YEAR. MOST OF OUR RESERVOIRS

ARE NOW MORE THAN HALF FULL DUE TO THE RECENT SPELL OF WET WEATHER.

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