XN000022-1993-04-23 — Page 8

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1993

WATER SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION

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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT (WSD) TODAY (FRIDAY) ASSURED CONSUMERS IN EASTERN HONG KONG AND KOWLOON AREAS THAT THEIR TAP WATER IS SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION DESPITE REPORTS OF EARTHLY SMELL IN THE LAST TWO DAYS.

TESTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON A LARGE NUMBER OF WATER SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE AREAS AND THEY HAVE ALL CONFIRMED THAT THE QUALITY OF THE TAP WATER FULLY COMPLIES WITH INTERNATIONAL HEALTH STANDARDS, A WSD SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE WATER TO THESE AREAS IS SUPPLIED FROM PAK KONG TREATMENT WORKS WHICH ALSO COVERS OTHER PARTS OF THE TERRITORY INCLUDING NGAU TAU KOK, NGAU CHI WAN, YAU TONG, TSANG KWAN O AND THE EASTERN PART OF HONG KONG ISLAND.

"THE RAW WATER SUPPLIED TO PAK KONG TREATMENT WORKS COMES FROM EITHER HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR, PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR OR THE CATCHMENT AREAS.

"UNDER NORMAL OPERATION, THE SOURCES OF RAW WATER SUPPLIED TO TREATMENT WORKS ARE SWITCHED FROM TIME ΤΟ TIME TO SUIT THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCE FROM VARIOUS RESERVOIRS.

THE FROM

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT IN THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 20, SUPPLY SOURCE OF RAW WATER TO PAK KONG RESERVOIR WAS SWITCHED HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR TO PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR WHERE THE WATER WAS CONVEYED THROUGH AN AQUEDUCT SYSTEM COMPRISING SUBMARINE PIPELINES AND WATER TUNNELS.

"AS IN THE PAST, MEASURES WERE TAKEN BY PROGRESSIVELY MIXING THE RAW WATER SUPPLIED FROM PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR WITH HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR, AND BY CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING THE QUALITY OF THE WATER ENTERING AND LEAVING THE TREATMENT WORKS.

"IN THE FOLLOWING MORNING, A SUDDEN SURGE OF AMMONIA CONTENT IN THE INCOMING WATER AT PAK KONG TREATMENT WORKS WAS DETECTED.

"ALTHOUGH THE AMMONIA CONTENT WAS FOUND ΤΟ BE STILL WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS, IMMEDIATE COUNTER-ACTION WAS TAKEN TO INCREASE THE DOSAGE OF CHLORINE CORRESPONDINGLY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE QUALITY OF THE TREATED WATER, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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OF

"IN FACT, HE ADDED, "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SUCH HIGH AMMONIA CONTENT WAS ENCOUNTERED IN THE RAW WATER SINCE

COMMISSIONING THE PAK KONG TREATMENT WORKS IN 1989.

THE

"IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE EARTHLY SMELL IN THE WATER FOUND BY SOME OF THE CONSUMERS PROBABLY ORIGINATED FROM THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL RESIDUAL CHLORINE CONTENT IN THE TAP WATER.

"THE CAUSE