XN000022-1981-05-11 — Page 2

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MONDAY, MAY 11, 1981

DECISION ON WATER RESTRICTIONS DEFERRED

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THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR TOM TOMLINSON, ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE DECISION ON WHETHER THERE WOULD BE WATER RESTRICTIONS ON HONG KONG ISLAND HAD BEEN FURTHER DEFERRED THIS TIME PROBABLY UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF JUNE,

THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME AFTER THE HEAVY DOWNPOURS OVER THE WEEKEND, WHEN MORE THAN 140 MM OF RAIN WERE RECORDED, AND A REVIEW OF THE WATER STORAGE POSITION IN THE ISLAND RESERVOIRS.

MR TOMLINSON SAID: THE RAINFALL AT BOTH SHEK PIK AND TAI TAM RESERVOIRS, WHICH MEET PART OF THE DEMAND ON HONG KONG ISLAND, WAS VERY FAVOURABLE AND IT CAME IN THE NICK OF TIME.

WITHOUT THE LATEST RAIN, WATER RESTRICTIONS FOR HONG KONG ISLAND WOULD HAVE BEEN INEVITABLE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.+

HE ADDED: THE SITUATION NOW IS THAT IF THE RESIDUAL YIELD RESULTING FROM THE WEEKEND'S RAIN IS SATISFACTORY, NO RESTRICTIONS WILL BE NECESSARY BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF JUNE EVEN WITHOUT RAIN.

MR TOMLINSON STRESSED, HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH RAINFALL OVER THE WEEKEND HAD HELPED THE GENERAL STORAGE POSITION, A LOT MORE RAIN WAS STILL REQUIRED TO BRING OVERALL STORAGE TO A HEALTHY LEVEL.

THE DIRECTOR URGED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CONTINUE EXERCISING MAXIMUM ECONOMY IN THE USE OF WATER.

AT 9 AM TODAY, THE TOTAL STORAGE IN THE RESERVOIRS WAS 225 MILLION CUBIC METRES OR 39 PER CENT OF THE CAPACITY, COMPARED WITH 347 MILLION CUBIC METRES OR 60.1 PER CENT AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

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NOTE TO EDITORS:

GOVERNOR TO OFFICIATE AT CEREMONY ****

THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WILL OFFICIATE AT THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY OF THE HENRY G. LEONG YAU MA TEI COMMUNITY CENTRE ON FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1981, AT THE JUNCTION OF RECLAMATION STREET AND MARKET STREET, NEAR THE YAU MA TE! JOCKEY CLUB POLYCLINIC.

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND REPRESENTATIVES TO COVER THE EVENT WHICH WILL START AT 2.30 PM.