Hong Kong drinking water quality guaranteed despite environmental incidents

Water quality in Hong Kong is fully guaranteed, despite recent environmental incidents, Lin Xudian, deputy director of Guangdong Water Resources Department has said.

An increasing number of environmental incidents on the Pearl River has sparked a growing concern over the state of water quality in Hong Kong. Additionally, growing demand for fresh water on the Chinese mainland has led to concerns over water monitoring, with some analysts believing standards could be slipping with increased demand.

However, Lin Xudian has hit back at the claims, saying there is sufficient supply in the area to meet demand. He said: "At present, 1.1 billion cubic meters of water have been allocated to satisfy Hong Kong's annual water demand, which varies according to needs."

The Dongjiang-Shenzhen water supply project sent around 820 million cubic meters of water to Hong Kong in 2011, which met around 70 to 80 per cent of demand, according to Guangdong Water Resources Department.

There is significant reliance on the water supply, which has provided up to 21 billion cubic meters of water to Hong Kong since it came into service in 1965. It is placed at the lower reaches of the Dongjiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River.

Much of the concern over water quality is in relation to the Pearl River, which has seen rapid industrialisation and urban growth in recent years. Mr Xudian has admitted that there are environmental incidents in the area, but maintains that sufficient water has been stored in Hong Kong's reservoirs to meet any contingency.

Liu Zhisen, a water resources protection officer at the Pearl River Water Resources Commission under the Ministry of Water Resources said that the river water is Grade Two, which is a high standard of drinking water. He added: "Pollutants in the Pearl River can now be diluted and absorbed in certain sections", and are not harmful to the river.

Posted by Lauren Steadman