THE Government will spend $8 billion to construct water treatment and supply facilities over the next five years to cope with increasing demand in the northwest New Territories, Financial Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said yesterday.
It plans to construct a water-treatment plant in Tai Po to serve the northeast New Territories and urban areas, and to expand the Siu Ho Wan Water Treatment Works to supply future developments on Lantau Island. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Ngau Tam Mei Water Treatment Works, Mr Tsang said the population of the SAR was expected to grow by 18 per cent to more than eight million within 15 years.
Construction of the water-treatment plants was necessary to accommodate the expected population growth in the northwest New Territories, he said.
Deputy Director of Water Supplies Ko Chan-gock said at the ceremony that his department hoped to meet the Guangdong authorities soon to discuss the price of water from the Dongjiang river, which supplies the SAR.
'The quality, the price, flexibility in supplying water, these are the usual agenda of our meetings,' Mr Ko said. 'We will try to fight for the best conditions for Hong Kong.'
In October last year the Director of Audit said $1.7 billion of public money had been wasted over five years in oversupply from the Dongjiang catchment, which supplies 70 per cent of Hong Kong's water.
