XN000022-1981-11-30 — Page 3

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1981

ONE YEAR FREE WATER FOR MILLIONTH DOMESTIC CUSTOMER

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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT TODAY TURNED ON THE SUPPLY TO ITC ONE MILLIONTH DOMESTIC CUSTOMER, MRS KWOK CHAN MUI OF YAU OF ESTATE, TUEN MUN.

TO MARK THE OCCASION, THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR WILLIAM TUCKER, PRESE ID MRS KWOK WITH A CERTIFICATE ENTITLING HER AND HER FAMILY TO FREE WATER FOR A YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THE RATE OF EXPANSION OF DEVELOPMENT, MR TUCKER SAID THE WSD WAS NOW INSTALLING WATER METERS AT A RATE OF 70 000 A YEAR.

+THIS HAS PLACED GREAT DEMANDS ON THE DEPARTMENT, NOT ONLY IN PROVIDING THE ACTUAL CONNECTIONS TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES, BUT ALSO IN FINDING RESOURCES TO MEET THE INCREASING DEMAND ARISING FROM INCREASES IN POPULATION AND IMPROVED HOUSING STANDARDS, HE SAID.

MR TUCKER SAID THAT TUEN MUN WAS TYPICAL OF THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE PROVISION OF BETTER HOUSING AND IMPROVED SERVICES. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE NEW TOWN, THE WSD HAD BEEN BUSY INSTALLING TREATMENT WORKS, SERVICE RESERVOIRS AND WATER MAINS.

+THESE ACTIVITIES ARE REPEATED THROUGHOUT HONG KONG TO ENSURE. THE TIMELY AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLIES TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF SUPPLIES TO EXISTING DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

MR TUCKER SAID THAT IN TUEN MUN, THE WSD WAS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A FURTHER 90 000 CUBIC METRES OF TREATMENT AND PUMP ING CAPACITY, MORE SERVICE RESERVOIRS FOR FRESH AND FLUSHING WATER, AND A SUBSTANTIAL MAINLAYING PROGRAMME.

SPEAKING OF THE AGREEMENT FOR PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING AMOUNTS OF WATER FROM CHINA, MR TUCKER SAID THAT THE RECEPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE EXTRA WATER REQUIRED A LOT OF WORK.

+CONSIDERABLE CAPITAL INVESTMENT HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE OVER THE COMING YEARS AND THIS, COMBINED WITH THE RECENT INCREASE IN THE COST OF WATER FROM CHINA, MUST INEVITABLY INCREASE THE COST OF PRODUCTION OF WATER.

+NEVERTHELESS, THE NEED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE, TREATED SUPPLIES OF WATER AT AN ECONOMICAL RATE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIME OBJECTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.

MR TUCKER NOTED THAT WSD CONSUMER ENQUIRIES OFFICES HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN KOWLOON AND TAI PO AND SAID IT WAS PROPOSED TO ESTABLISH A CENTRE IN TUEN MUN WHEN A SUITABLE LOCATION COULD BE FOUND.

WELCOMING MR TUCKER TO THE CEREMONY, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (KOWLOON), MR LAU KWAN-YUEN, SAID THAT THE KWOK FAMILY WERE FORMER BOAT SQUATTERS FROM THE YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER WHO HAD APPLIED FOR PUBLIC HOUSING IN JUNE 1976.

+HAPPILY, THEY CAN LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOWS OF THE FLAT M!. STILL SEE THE SEA NEARBY, WITH JUNKS, SAMPANS AND OTHER CRAFT AT ANCHOR, HE SAID.