Think tank urges Hong Kong government to reconsider water import deal with mainland China
- Up to 80 per cent of the city’s water is imported from Dongjiang in Guangdong, for which Water Supplies Department spends about HK$4.8 billion a year
- Think tank asks the government to use reclaimed water, including harvested rainwater and treated waste water, to reduce its reliance on water from mainland
The Hong Kong government should reconsider its water import deal with mainland China and reduce its reliance on it, according to a research report by a local think tank.
Civic Exchange said the city should diversify and modernise its water sources by using more reclaimed water, or treated waste water, particularly for non-potable uses, such as irrigation and toilet flushing.
Up to 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s water is imported from the Dongjiang in Guangdong, for which the Water Supplies Department (WSD) spends about HK$4.8 billion ($616 million) a year under the current agreement with the mainland. The deal is set to be renegotiated next year.
“Water from the Dongjiang is indispensable for Hong Kong, but the city should look at other sources to ensure the sustainability of the river for both Hong Kong and other cities in the Pearl River Delta,” Civic Exchange senior adviser Natalie Chan said on Tuesday.
Hong Kong has been importing water from the Dongjiang – or East River – since 1965.
