Project quenches Hong Kong thirst
( 2003-06-26 09:18) (China Daily)
A major project to supply Hong Kong with abundant supplies of clean water is
set to be completed eight months ahead of schedule.
Residents on the island will soon be able to tap into the new water supplies
courtesy of South China's Guangdong Province.
The 57.1-kilometre-long pipeline will carry water from the upper reaches of
the Dongjiang River, a major branch of the Pearl River, to the island. The
Dongshen Water Supply Improvement Project will also boost supplies of clean
water to the mainland coastal cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan.
The project, which began in August 2000 and cost 4.9 billion yuan (US$590
million), will divert 2.4 billion cubic metres of water a year. Of that total,
1.1 billion cubic metres will go to Hong Kong. It will be completed on Saturday.
Shenzhen and Dongguan will receive 873 million and 400 million cubic metres
respectively.
The Dongshen water project began back in 1964 to meet the needs of Hong Kong,
which for years has suffered from shortages of fresh water.
On completion of the improvement project, around 10 million residents will
benefit.
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