WSD’s Ngau Tam Mei Water Treatment Works Open Day concludes (with photos)
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The Water Supplies Department (WSD) held the Ngau Tam Mei Water Treatment Works Open Day on November 18 and 19, offering a wide range of informative and fun activities to introduce the advanced water treatment process in Hong Kong, the background of Dongjiang (DJ) water supply to Hong Kong and various development projects of the WSD in recent years. The two-day event concluded today (November 19) and attracted over 1 500 members of the public to visit, including students and professional groups.
The WSD set a thematic exhibition “Achievements and Prospects of the Water Supplies Department in the 21st Century” on the Open Day to showcase a wide range of water supply works and technologies, as well as various major waterworks development projects of the WSD in recent years. The “Dongjiang Water Supply” exhibition displayed precious historical photos showing the situation of water rationing in 1960s and the Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Scheme. The Guangdong and Hong Kong governments agreed to implement the Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Scheme about 60 years ago and the first delivery of Dongjiang water arrived in Hong Kong on March 1, 1965. Over the years, the Guangdong side has contributed various efforts to safeguarding the quality and security of DJ water supplied to Hong Kong, which include the formulation and strict enforcement of relevant standards to protect water resources and the tremendous investment to enhance infrastructure facilities.
DJ water accounts for 70 to 80 per cent of the total fresh water consumption in Hong Kong and its uninterrupted supply for nearly 60 years has solved Hong Kong’s water shortage problem in the long run, making the city a better place for some 7 million Hong Kong people to live and work. A segment of the DJ improvement work pipe was also showcased on site on the Open Day to enhance public understanding of this project.
The thematic exhibition also introduced the transformation of water supply with resilience, innovation and sustainability in Hong Kong. Under the Total Water Management Strategy, the WSD strives to build resilience in the fresh water supply with diversified water resources. In particular, the first stage of the Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant commencing operation next month will enhance resilience in fresh water supply in Hong Kong. Moreover, visitors also had the opportunity to learn more about the advanced water treatment process in Hong Kong as well as the scientific knowledge related to water treatment through guided tours organised by the WSD.
Ngau Tam Mei Water Treatment Works provide treated water supply to Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Ngau Tam Mei, San Tin and Mai Po areas. It was first commissioned in 2000 with a treated water output of 230 000 cubic metres per day with daily output capacity to be further increased following its expansion in future.