Reuters AlertNet Lite - Salt forces S.China cities to go upstream for water

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Salt forces S.China cities to go upstream for water

15 Jan 2007 09:28:23 GMT
Source: Reuters

HONG KONG, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Salty tap water that affects up to 50 million people has forced the Asian gambling hub Macau and its sister city Zhuhai to hastily build a pipeline to access water further upstream, a water official said on Monday.

The problem has become worse in recent years as the flow of water down the western tributaries of the Pearl River slowed and the sea level rose, allowing salt water to spread further inland.

Drought, hydroelectric dams and sand dredging in rivers have compounded the problem, said Fan Xiaojun, deputy general manager of the Macao Water Supply Co. Ltd., which manages water in the former Portuguese colony.

"In recent years the frequency of this problem has become much, much higher," Fan said on the sidelines of a water conference in Hong Kong.

The new pipe draws water 22 km (14 miles) upstream from where Macau and Zhuhai previously sourced their fresh water, and can take in 1 million cubic metres a day.

"The new intake was scheduled to be a two-year project. Because of the seriousness of the salinity it was done within 10 months, one year. You know, in China anything can happen," Fan said.

The salty water problem had also caught Beijing's attention, with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao raising it in a meeting with Macau's Chief Executive Edmund Ho late last year.

If not dealt with, the water issue could become problematic for Macau, about 60 km (40 miles) west of Hong Kong, which is experiencing a construction and tourism boom with major casino operators pouring money into the territory.

Last year, chlorinity levels in Macau's drinking water, which measure how salty it is, were three times the level at which Fan said people generally start to notice a salty taste.

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Last updated:Mon Jan 15 09:31:11 2007