XN000022-1984-01-25 — Page 17

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1984

16

+WATER SUPPLY IN SQUATTER AREAS RELIABLE+

***

THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM STANDPIPES IN SQUATTER AREAS IS GENERALLY AS RELIABLE AS CAN BE EXPECTED, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR CHAN WAS ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE HON CHAN YING-LUN, WHO POINTED OUT THAT WATER SUPPLY WAS A MAJOR CONCERN OF RESIDENTS

IN SQUATTER AREAS, PARTICULARLY ON HILLY TERRAINS, AND ASKED WHETHER GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THE UNRELIABILITY OF WATER SUPPLY FROM STANDPIPES, AND RESIDENTS' HARDSHIP IN OBTAINING FRESH WATER TO THE EXTENT THAT MANY HAD TO OBTAIN WATER FROM STREAMS,

HE ALSO ASKED WHETHER GOVERNMENT WOULD INFORM THE COUNCIL WHAT PLANS IT HAD TO ALLEVIATE RESIDENTS' HARDSHIP.

MR CHAN SAID GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT EXISTED, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH-UP AREAS WHERE THE WATER PRESSURE WAS BAD.

THE PRESSURE OF THE WATER IN THE TAP DEPENDED UPON THE WATER LEVEL IN THE RESERVOIR FEEDING IT, THE LENGTH AND SIZE OF THE PIPE AND THE QUANTITY OF WATER BEING DRAWN OFF.

THESE FACTORS WERE KNOWN WHEN STANDPIPES WERE INSTALLED, BUT TO TRY AND SATISFY RESIDENTS STANDPIPES HAD OCCASIONALLY BEEN PROVIDED UNDER MARGINAL CONDITIONS WHERE IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT LOW PRESSURE IN THE TAP WAS BETTER THAN HAVING NO WATER AT ALL.

CONDITIONS WERE NOT IMPROVED BY ILLEGAL TAPPING OF THE SUPPLY PIPE, WHICH IN EXTREME CASES COULD CUT OFF THE SUPPLY TO THE STANDPIPE ALTOGETHER,

BUT

THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT REGULARLY INSPECTED ALL STANDPIPE INSTALLATIONS TO TRY AND STOP ILLEGAL TAPPING, THIS NEVERTHELESS REMAINED AN ONGOING PROBLEM, HE SAID,

+APART FROM THIS QUESTION OF WEAK PRESSURE, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES THAT THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM STANDPIPES IN SQUATTER AREAS IS GENERALLY AS RELIABLE AS CAN BE EXPECTED,+ MR CHAN TOLD THE COUNCIL.

TAPS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED FROM TIME TO TIME, AND SUCH MAINTENANCE WAS CARRIED OUT AS A MATTER OF ROUTINE.

MR CHAN SAID THE WATER AUTHORITY WAS STILL COMMITTED TO A PROGRAMME OF INSTALLING STANDPIPES IN SQUATTER AREAS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH A POLICY LAID DOWN BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN 1968.

IN ADDITION, THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT WAS NEARING COMPLETION OF SCHEMES TO PROVIDE METERED WATER TO 15 SQUATTER AREAS, AND PROPOSALS FOR A FURTHER 15 HIGH-LEVEL AREAS WHICH WOULD REQUIRE LOCAL PUMPING STATIONS WERE IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME.