THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1981
DESALTER TO BE PUT INTO FULL OPERATION
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO BRING THE LOK ON PAI DESALTING PLANT INTO FULL OPERATION.
REACTIVATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL UNITS IS IN THE FINAL STAGES AND PROGRESSIVE BUILD UP TO FULL OUTPUT WILL NOW COMMENCE.
FULL OPERATION OF THE PLANT IS EXPECTED BY EARLY OCTOBER.
IN MAKING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY, THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR WILLIAM TUCKER, SAID THE DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN AFTER CONSIDERING THE PRESENT WATER STORAGE AND ALL OTHER POSSIBLE WATER SOURCES.
HE SAID THAT IN VIEW OF THE UNFAVOURABLE WATER STORAGE
IT WAS NOW NECESSARY TO PUT THE DESALTER INTO FULL-SCALE OPERATION.
OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY, THE DESALTER COULD PRODUCE 182 000 CUBIC METRES OF FRESH WATER A DAY, OR ABOUT 12 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S CURRENT CONSUMPTION.
HE EMPHASISED THAT THE OPERATION OF THE DESALTER WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT ON EXISTING WATER CHARGES.
HE SAID: THE PURPOSE OF THE DESALTER IS TO SUPPLY FRESH WATER WHENEVER OTHER SOURCES ARE DEFICIENT AND THAT IS, BY DEFINITION, AN EMERGENCY FUNCTION.
+THERE IS NO INTENTION TO PASS THE OPERATING COST OF THE DESALTER ON TO CONSUMERS BY WAY OF AN INCREASE IN WATER CHARGES.
TURNING TO OTHER SOURCES, MR TUCKER SAID THAT IN THE LIGHT OF THE LOW LEVEL WATER STORAGE, THE BELOW-AVERAGE RAINFALL FORECAST BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND IN THE HOPE OF IMPROVING OUR RESOURCES, A REQUEST HAD BEEN MADE IN MARCH THIS YEAR TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES FOR THE SUPPLY OF ADDITIONAL WATER BEYOND THAT PROVIDED IN THE CURRENT SUPPLY PERIOD WHICH ENDED IN JULY.
+THE EFFORT HAS BEEN REWARDED,+ HE SAID.
+THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER CONSERVANCY AND HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER OF GUANGDONG CO-OPERATED TO THE MAXIMUM AND AGREED TO INCREASE THE DELIVERY RATE AND EXTEND THE SUPPLY PERIOD BY ONE MONTH TO THE END OF AUGUST, LEAVING SEPTEMBER FOR MAINTENANCE.
+A TOTAL OF ABOUT 30 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF ADDITIONAL WATER WAS OBTAINED BY THESE MEASURES.+
MR TUCKER SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD RECEIVED 1 289 MM OF RAIN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY, COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1 837 MM.
THE WATER
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