This is to acknowledge receipt of your message. We shall take action as
appropriate. With regard to emergency matters, please call our Customer
Enquiry Centre's 24-Hour Hotline at 2824 5000 for prompt action. (The above
is generated by an auto-reply programme) 本署已經收到你的電郵, 並會適當地處
理。如有關緊急事項, 請打24小時熱線28245000聯絡水務處客戶電話諮詢中心以便採
取應急行動。(以上為電腦自動發出的訊息)

Dear Simon,
Thank you for your enquiry. We would like to provide our responses as
follows:-

At present, WSD has 21 seafront salt water pumping stations through which
seawater is extracted for provision of flushing supply for some 85% of the
population.  Since normally the seawater will not be in direct contact
with the human, the chance of intake of radioactive contaminants through
use of seawater as flushing water is considered negligible.

In 2023, a seawater desalination plant at Tseung Kwan O will be
commissioned. WSD will assess the impact of the radioactive wastewater
discharge on the supply of desalinated potable water upon commissioning of
the desalination plant by implementing a comprehensive water quality
monitoring programme for parameters of Hong Kong Drinking Water Standards
(including the gross α activity and gross β activity) and other
radionuclides (e.g. tritium). Whenever abnormality in the monitoring
results is observed, the operation of the desalination plant will be
suspended and its drinking water supply will be covered by other water
treatment works.

Best Regards,

 
Derrick KWOK
Engineer/Resources Planning (5)

Water Supplies Department

From:        Simon Wang <[FOI #628 email]>
To:        FOI requests at Water Supplies Department <[Water Supplies Department request email]>
Date:        27/04/2021 09:19
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Safety of seawater for
toilet flushing and desalination

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Dear Water Supplies Department,

I am writing to express my concern over the safety of sea water being used
in the city for toulet flushing and  desalination. In light of the
Janpanese government's decision to dump nuclear waste water (to places
that are not yet announced) (see Dr Lin Zhang's letter to the letter
[1]https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/art...),
here are the questions for the department to answer under the Code on
Access to Information

1. Given that sea water is used for flushing in the city and to generate
freshwater through desalination, what measures does the department take to
ensure the safety of seawater in light of the Japanese government's
decision to dump nuclear waste water?
2. If excessive amount of nuclear particles are found in sea water in HK,
what will the department do to ensure the safety and health of the public?
 

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Yours faithfully,
Simon Wang

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This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #628 email]

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requests to Water Supplies Department? If so, please contact us using this
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References

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