XN000022-1994-03-09 — Page 25

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1994

23

POSITIVE MEASURE ADOPTED TO TACKLE MAINS DAMAGE

THE

GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF THE FREQUENT DAMAGE TO WATER MAINS BY ROADWORK ACTIVITIES IN RECENT YEARS AND HAS TAKEN A POSITIVE AND IMMEDIATE MEASURE TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM.

IN

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON FRED LI IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR BLAKE SAID THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAD SET UP INSPECTION TEAMS TO STEP UP THE SURVEILLANCE OF ROADWORK ACTIVITIES WHICH WERE LIKELY TO AFFECT THE UNDERGROUND WATER MAINS AS WELL AS ΤΟ PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND ADVICE TO CONTRACTORS AND UTILITY UNDERTAKERS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATER MAINS.

"1T IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE IMPACT JE ROADWORK UTILITIES' ACTIVITIES RESULTING IN MAINS BURST WILL BE REDUCED IN FUTURE, HE SAID.

·

AND/OR

OTHER

SIGNIFICANTLY

OF ΤΟ

REGARDING PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, MR BLAKE SAID MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE OF MAINTENANCE CONTRACTORS HAD BEEN TIGHTENED UP

ABOUT QUICKER RESPONSE TO PUMPING BREAKDOWNS AND BETTER REPAIR

BRING SERVICE.

HE SAID THE PROBLEM OF STRAINER BLOCKAGE HAD BEEN SATISFACTORILY RESOLVFD IN 1997 M MORF FREQUENT CLEANING OF THE

SUPPLY SYSTEN.

"IN THE LONGER RUN, HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS PLANNED TO UPGRADE INTERNAL PUMPING INSTALLATIONS FOR OLD ESTATES IN THE TERRITORY AT A RATE OF 40 TO 50 PUMPING SYSTEMS PER YEAR IN ORDER TO MINIMISE THE OCCURRENCE OF EQUIPMENT FAILURE AND HENCE SUPPLY INTERRUPTIONS,' SAID.

HE

AMENDED MOTION ON NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES RAILWAY PASSED

THE MOTION ON EARLY CONSTRUCTION OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES RAILWAY WAS PASSED WITH AMENDMENT BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN A DEBATE OF ABOUT TWO HOURS TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

NEW

THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS MOVED BY THE HON ALFRED TSO, WITH AN AMENDMENT RAISED BY THE HON MICHAEL HO.

AFTER 13 COUNCILLORS SPOKE ON THE MOTION, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA, REPLIED FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

/ANOTHER MOTION