XN000022-1986-10-29 — Page 62

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986

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CHINA WATER PROJECT'S FIRST STAGE COMPLETED

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A PRESS OF A BUTTON BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) STARTED WATER FROM CHINA FLOWING THROUGH A NEWLY-COMPLETED PUMPING STATION AT AU TAU IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND ALSO SIGNIFIED COMPLETION OF THE FIRST STAGE OF THE $1 750 MILLION, 12-YEAR SCHEME TO BRING MORE WATER FROM CHINA.

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THE WATER, WHICH COMES FROM THE EAST RIVER 100 KILOMETRES AWAY, IS FIRST RECEIVED AT MUK WU PUMPING STATION AT THE BORDER FOR ITS 20-KİLOMETRE JOURNEY THROUGH A SERIES OF PIPELINES AND TUNNELS TO TAI LAM CHUNG RESERVOIR, RECEIVING A BOOST AT AU TAU TO HELP IT ON ITS WAY.

AFTER STARTING THE WATER FLOWING AND UNVEILING A PLAQUE TO INAUGURATE THE MUK WU-AU TAU-TAI LAM CHUNG AQUEDUCT, SIR DAVID TRAVELLED TO THE END OF THE AQUEDUCT TO WATCH IT ENTERING THE RESERVOIR.

SIR DAVID SAID THE DEMAND FOR WATER IN HONG KONG COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MET WITHOUT THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT SUPPLY FROM CHINA HAD PLAYED IN OUR OVERALL SUPPLY SYSTEM.

+THE SUPPLY FROM CHINA IS NOW AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF HONG KONG'S WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND IS THE RESULT OF DISCUSSION, CO-OPERATION AND AGREEMENT STRETCHING BACK THROUGH NEARLY 30 YEARS.

+A LINK OF FRIENDSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN FORGED, BETWEEN THE WATER AUTHORITIES THEMSELVES AND THEIR RESPECTIVĚ STAFFS, AND IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE AMONG MANY OF THE INTERACTION AND INTERRELATIONSHIP OF OUR ECONOMY WITH THAT OF THE REST OF CHINA, SIR DAVID SAID.

ALTHOUGH THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM CHINA DATES BACK TO 1960, WHEN THE SHENZHEN SCHEME FOR RECEIVING A PIPED SUPPLY WAS FORMULATED, IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1981 THAT A 12-YEAR, THREE-STAGE PROJECT WAS LAUNCHED TO CONSTRUCT RECEPTION AND DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES.

WHEN THIS IS COMPLETED THE AMOUNT OF WATER PROVIDED BY CHINA WILL AMOUNT TO 620 MILLION CUBIC METRES PER ANNUM, OR MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL DEMAND.

THE SECOND STAGE OF THE PROJECT IS WELL ADVANCED. IT WILL COST $626 MILLION AND CATER FOR DEMAND IN THE PERIOD FROM 1987-91. THE FINAL STAGE, COSTING $300 MILLION, WILL DEAL WITH DEMAND FROM 1991 ONWARDS.

THE AQUEDUCT, WHICH WILL DELIVER THE MAIN PORTION OF WATER FROM CHINA AT A RATE OF 910 000 CUBIC METRES PER DAY, COST $220 MILLION AND WAS THE LARGEST SINGLE CONTRACT LET BY THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROJECT.

WORK CONSISTED