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The testing of water quality by more than 300 secondary school students at High Island Reservoir today (September 28) showed that the water in Hong Kong was of very good quality.
The testing is a highlight of the "World Water Monitoring Day 2008, which is organised by the Hong Kong (China) Regional Committee of the International Water Association (IWAHK) to enhance awareness and involvement of the community in the protection of water quality.
Under the guidance of chemists from the Water Supplies Department, the students used handy test kits to measure four basic indicators: temperature, acidity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity.
Today's event was officiated by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam. She said, "Water is a very precious resource. We should try our best to protect our water sources from being contaminated and not to waste water. We should be aware of the importance of water conservation and build up a habit of saving water so as to contribute to the sustainable development of our society.
The Director of Water Supplies and Chairman of the IWAHK, Mr Ma Lee-tak, said that the Government is actively implementing a total water management programme to better prepare Hong Kong for future uncertainties such as acute climate changes and a decrease in rainfall. The programme also aims to strengthen the partnership between Hong Kong and other cities in the Pearl River Delta region, so as to promote sustainable use of water resources to meet the growing demand for fresh water in the region.
The venue of today's event, High Island Reservoir, is the largest reservoir in Hong Kong. It was a forward-looking project in the 1960s-70s. To date, High Island Reservoir remains one of the vital sources of water supply to the urban districts. The construction of High Island Reservoir is an engineering wonder. The principal works included the construction of two main dams, each over 100 metres high, to close off the eastern and western entrances of the Kon Mun Strait. The reservoir was completed in late 1978 with a storage capacity of 281 million cubic metres.
World Water Monitoring Day was initiated by America's Clean Water Foundation in 2002. From 2006 onwards, World Water Monitoring Day is held by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) with the support of its global partner, the International Water Association, and aims at increasing public awareness and involvement in the protection of water quality. The official World Water Monitoring Day is September 18.
Over 80,000 participants from more than 50 countries and regions have participated in testing and monitoring their local water sources since 2002. Participants are required to record their findings on the World Water Monitoring Day website before the deadline (December 18), ultimately contributing to a useful database of the world's water resources.
Today's event was jointly organised by the Education Bureau, the Drainage Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department and the Water Supplies Department. More details of World Water Monitoring Day are available at the website www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.
Ends/Sunday, September 28, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:47
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