Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): Hong Kong’s first waste water recycling plant can save HK$48 million a year, government says
The story on this page has some tougher vocabulary words and questions to improve your understanding and English grammar.
The Shek Wu Hui water reclamation plant can help the city save money and water. Photo: Development BureauContent provided by British Council
[1] Hong Kong’s first facility that treats waste water for reuse will be able to save the city more than HK$48 million annually once it becomes fully operational, the government said last month. The plant at Shek Wu Hui in the New Territories, which processes already treated sewage to produce water for non-drinking uses, could help conserve the equivalent of nearly 9,000 swimming pools of fresh water.
[2] The Development Bureau said the plant had been providing recycled water for flushing at three schools in Sheung Shui and four housing estates since March. The rest of North district is still using fresh water. “In full swing, it can save about 22 million [164.6 million liquid gallons] cubic metres of fresh water per year. This is equivalent to the capacity of 8,800 standard swimming pools,” the bureau wrote on its blog.
[3] The plant will extend its coverage to other areas in North district in stages. It can serve about 520,000 residents and boasts a daily production capacity of up to 73,000 cubic metres of reclaimed water, which is clear and odourless. The water can also be used for irrigation and street cleaning.
[4] The bureau said the facility could have financial advantages for the government. The treatment cost of potable water was about HK$10 per cubic metre, while reclaimed water was only HK$7.8. “If 22 million cubic metres of reclaimed water is used to replace fresh water for toilet flushing, more than HK$48 million can be saved annually,” it said.
[5] The blog said the facility would be in full operation when residents moved into the Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas. The government said the new towns will yield around 86,200 homes for a population of 227,000, while 75 per cent of the flats are expected to be completed from 2029 onwards.
[6] The Water Supplies Department is also building a plant to treat grey water for flushing at Anderson Road in Kwun Tong. The facility is expected to begin operating by the end of the year, providing another source of recycled water.
[7] Grey water refers to water collected from baths, showers, wash basins, kitchen sinks and laundry machines. The bureau said authorities are exploring water resources that would not be affected by climate change to enhance the city’s resilience and support sustainable development.
Source: South China Morning Post, September 15
Questions
1. The facility mentioned in paragraph 1 …
A. treats waste water for non-drinking uses.
B. turns dirty water into drinking water.
C. converts water into energy.
D. creates water for swimming pools.
2. Find a word in paragraph 3 that means “without a smell”.
___________________________________________________
3. According to paragraph 4, how much money will the wastewater treatment facility save each year?___________________________________________________
4. Based on paragraphs 3 and 4, what can the reclaimed water be used for?
A. watering plants
B. cleaning the streets
C. flushing toilets
D. all of the above
5. What do the new towns in paragraph 5 refer to?
__________________________________________________
6. Complete the following summary using different forms of the word “treat”. (3 marks)
Hong Kong has a new facility that (i) _____ dirty water and turns it into clean water that can be used for things like flushing toilets. This will save the city a lot of money and help conserve fresh water. The plant is located in Shek Wu Hui and can produce enough (ii) _____ water to serve about 520,000 people each day. The government plans to use more (iii) _____ water and seawater for flushing toilets in the future.
Answers
1. A
2. odourless
3. more than HK$48 million
4. C
5. Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas
6. (i) treats; (ii) treated; (iii) treated