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Over 300 primary school students who achieved outstanding performance in water conservation were appointed as "water conservation ambassadors" today (July 6) by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) to help promote water conservation among fellow students and friends.
To further promote water conservation among primary school students, the WSD in March this year invited primary schools to join the Water Conservation Ambassador Selection Scheme to select and commend students who had achieved excellent results in water saving. These ambassadors will serve as role models to help promote water conservation among fellow students.
The scheme received overwhelming support from schools with some 5,000 students signing up. Participating students furnished the WSD through their schools with information about their domestic fresh water consumption as shown on their latest water bills and number of household members. After assessment of the data, students with a household per capita fresh water daily consumption at a low level were selected to be "water conservation ambassadors".
The Acting Director of Water Supplies, Mr Chan Kwong-wei, and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Quality of Water Supplies (ACQWS), Professor Ho Kin-chung, officiated at the certificate presentation ceremony held at Youth Square in Chai Wan today. Certificates and badges were presented to the ambassadors while certificates of appreciation were presented to the participating schools. Professor Ho led the ambassadors to read a pledge that they would continue to try their best to save water in their daily life and remind their family members, schoolmates and friends to join in protecting the precious water resources on Earth.
The WSD also invited some ambassadors to share with the audience their water saving tips in daily life. Primary five student Wong Chit, of South Yuen Long Government Primary School, said that his family members would remind one another if they took long showers. His family members also use less water when taking showers: they first wet their bodies, then turn off the shower, and only turn on the shower again after applying soap and shampoo.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said active participation and support from the younger generation are indispensable to effective water conservation.
"The WSD attaches great importance to educating the younger generation. By organising various activities such as water saving competitions, school roadshows, school water audits, we encourage students to develop water saving habits from childhood," he said. Mr Chan said he hoped the ambassadors would fulfil their mission in promoting water conservation both at home and in school.
Professor Ho said he was delighted with the students' outstanding efforts in water conservation. He said that the scheme made the students pay more attention to their household fresh water consumption and enhanced their awareness of water conservation.
The full list of the "water conservation ambassadors" has been posted on the WSD's website, www.wsd.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:20
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