The Water Supplies Department (WSD) officially launched the "Let's Save 10L Water" Campaign today (May 17) to encourage the public to establish a good habit of conserving water. The Campaign is the department's major water conservation promotional programme this year.
To take part in the Campaign, members of the public can simply log on to the webpage of the Let's Save 10L Water - Joint Declaration (www.wsd.gov.hk/save10litres), sign the Commitment Certificate, and use water wisely in daily life with reference to the water saving tips on the webpage. Each participating household is entitled to receive a pair of complimentary flow controllers as a token of encouragement while stocks last.
The Campaign was rolled out in support of World Water Day on March 22 this year. More than 80 000 flow controller application forms have been received from the public so far. In view of the overwhelming response, the WSD has increased the application quota from the initial 30 000 to 120 000.
Officiating at the launching ceremony, the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, said the goal of water conservation cannot be achieved with the Government's efforts alone, and the public's support and adoption of water-saving measures are most crucial to success. He appealed for community-wide participation in the Campaign to help establish a water conservation culture.
The Director of Water Supplies, Mr Enoch Lam, said at the ceremony that water conservation had once been part of everyday life for Hong Kong people in the 1960s and '70s. He said he hoped that, with the promotion of the Campaign, Hong Kong people will establish water-saving habits and thereby lay a good foundation for developing Hong Kong into a water-saving city and ensuring a sustainable water supply.
Meanwhile, the WSD is planning to collaborate with the Housing Department to install flow controllers for about 25 000 households in public housing estates. At the same time, the Advisory Committee on Water Resources and Quality of Water Supplies (ACRQWS) is planning to conduct a pilot scheme together with other organisations to install flow controllers for some households in private housing estates.
Furthermore, the WSD plans to install flow controllers in government buildings and schools, and to consult the stakeholders of different industries such as the catering, hotel and laundry industries to map out the best practice guidelines for water conservation for the corresponding industries.
The WSD has recently rolled out an enhanced version of its Mobile App, which includes a hyperlink through which members of the public can access the Campaign's website to register for participation in the Campaign. Also, the Mobile App users can get hold of the latest information about water suspension cases and temporary water supply measures through smartphones for making appropriate arrangements to cope with water supply emergency incidents.
Other government officials and guests at today's ceremony included the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Wai Chi-sing; Legislative Council Member Mr Tony Tse; and the Chairman of the ACRQWS, Dr Chan Hon-fai.
For details of the Campaign, please visit the Campaign's webpage or call the WSD's customer service hotline at 2824 5000.
Ends/Saturday, May 17, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:07
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