jQuery(document).ready(function($){gformInitSpinner( 4, 'https://www.chinawaterrisk.org/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/images/spinner.gif' );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_4').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_4');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_4').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! Perhaps in these economically unstable times, we could save by buying less bottled water. You can drink tap water without boiling on condition that the management of your building is done properly. Samples of potable water in Hong Kong were found to contain excessive levels of heavy metals including lead, nickel and cadmium in 2015. The quality of water treated in WSD treatment works is as good as that of many well-developed countries and regions. Check out “Filtering Ideas”.). Using the Water Footprint Network’s global average Virtual Water Content embedded per tonne of meat, we can estimate what Hong Kong’s meat imports mean in terms of additional water consumption. Hong Kong uses more water and pays less for it than most other major cities. This implies a significant tariff hike which could impact Hong Kong’s lifestyle choices given Hong Kong’s dependence on China’s water supplies (see point 3 below). Clearly the region is water stressed, and though Hong Kong’s supply is guaranteed at the moment, there’s no promise that this will remain looking forward as cities in the region continue to grow and develop economically. I live in Hong Kong, and I wondered why there are no limescale deposits at all where I live - so I guess that one could say the water is very soft here. The pollution of raw water supplied to Hong Kong became an increasing concern that triggered a variety of activities designed to protect the quality of raw water. It is worth remembering that there are other environmental costs associated with bottled water from the production and disposal of the plastic bottles to the carbon costs of shipping. The monitoring has recorded that water quality of rivers across Hong Kong has improved substantially, after a series of remedial measures introduced in the late 1980s and 1990s. The quality of the local drinking water conforms to the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 1998 the intake of the water pipeline was moved further upstream on the Dongjiang River where water quality … Since 85% of all water is used for industry and agriculture in China, especially in some of the driest regions of the country, Hong Kong’s water use habits seems disproportionate by comparison. Water testing kits are an easy way to gain valuable insight into the quality of the water you rely upon for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and more. The monitoring has recorded that water quality of rivers across Hong Kong has improved substantially, after a series of remedial measures introduced in the late 1980s and 1990s. Fax: 2662 1158. Hong Kong uses more water per capita than most first world cities. Here are some interesting facts about Hong Kong water you might not know that may make you think twice the next time you leave that tap on…. In recent years, most rivers in Hong Kong are within the "Fair" to "Excellent" range and no river was graded “Very Bad” since 2012. It's certainly safe for brushing your teeth but less suitable for drinking. is_redirect && ! Hong Kong water is good to drink from the tap provided that the building's plumbing are well maintained, 70-80% of Hong Kong's water supply is from Guangdong. Tap water ratings The river’s runoff decreased by more than 30 percent in December due to lack of rain, however water was retained in the Changzhou reservoir and not discharged to alleviate the situation to ensure drinking water supplies in January. Figure 6: Classification of water pollution in China. In 2008, more than 275 million litres of bottled water was sold in Hong Kong generating HK$2.68 billion in revenues, Read more on the government’s steps on securing HK’s water in our “, Read Hong Kong government’s plan on water in our interview with Bobby Ng, Assistant Director Development at WSD “, Read more on what Su Liu of the Civic Exchange says on HK’s laissez-faire attitude towards water and why time is running out as the Dongjiang River becomes more vulnerable in “. According to Hong Kong’s Waterworks Regulations, the consumer is responsible for the proper maintenance of the building’s plumbing15. Placeholders.enable(); Importing food is actually an indirect way of importing water. We believe regardless of whether we care for the environment that water risks affect us all – as investors, businesses and individuals. Thus the supply of Hong Kong’s water is guaranteed, regardless if there’s a drought in Dongjiang. But in reality, Hong Kong is highly dependent on China’s water supply, and whether we like it or not, China’s water risk affects us all. Hong Kong Water Customer Service. A non-profit initiative dedicated to addressing business and environmental risk arising from China's urgent water crisis. The Hong Kong Housing … The number of river monitoring stations with bad or very bad water quality dropped, from over 50% in … The number of river monitoring stations with bad or very bad water quality dropped, … Protecting raw water quality. }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [4, 1]) } ); © 2020 China Water Risk. This indicates that if supply from Guangdong was disrupted, Hong Kong may have to revert back to the water rationing days before it started importing water from the mainland in the 1960s. Hong Kong Beach Water Quality. China Water Risk sets out 8 things interesting facts about Hong Kong water, In Hong Kong, water is taken for granted because it’s readily available, of good quality, and very cheap. Please be cautious that "moderate to very high" water pollution is bad and the higher the rate of water quality the better. more. Drinking Water Quality. Due to the historic usage of lead water pipes, many jurisdictions have legal limits on safety levels of lead content in drinking water. In a city where high quality water flows cheaply from the tap, it is understandable that a lot of us will take water for granted. Based on import data provided by the Center for Food Safety, figure 6 shows us the total major meat imports from the mainland in 201018. Even though Hong Kong’s water is cheap and clean, bottled water is still all the rage. The pollution of raw water supplied to Hong Kong became an increasing concern that triggered a variety of activities designed to protect the quality of raw water. Many people address concerns regarding water quality by buying bottled water. How do People In Hong Kong Rate The Tap Water? To learn more about pollution status throughout China, visit the big picture. However, she forgets that some buildings in Hong Kong have poorly maintained plumbing, which can affect water quality, not least the smell and colour of the water. The Government currently adopts the corresponding guideline values/provisional guideline values in the fourth edition of the World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (“WHO Guidelines”) published in 2011 as the Hong Kong Drinking Water Standards. Ordering Hotline 2662 1993. At present, raw water from Dongjiang and local impounding reservoirs first enters the water treatment works for a series of stringent and advanced treatment and disinfection processes. The scandal began in June 2015 when the Democratic Party announced that testing of drinking water at Kai Ching Estate in Kowloon revealed lead contamination. The thought of water rationing might as well be ancient history to those that were born after the 1970s. The results are eye opening: Figure 6 – Meat imports from the mainland and their water impact, Source: Water Supplies Department, Food and Health Bureau, Water Footprint Network, China Water Risk. We turn on the tap and it’s always there. According to Hong Kong’s Food and Health Bureau, in excess of 90% of all our meats including pork, chicken and beef come from the mainland. We use more water per capita than Paris, London, Singapore, and Melbourne2. Although we see China’s water problems in the news frequently, most of us don’t make the connection with Hong Kong. Currently the water quality of the water that comes from Dongjiang is guaranteed to conform to the national standard set out for Type II waters10, and according to the Chinese government, water quality remains good in the Pearl River Delta, however the quality varies by section. It's certainly safe for brushing your teeth but less suitable for drinking. The answer to your question is a loud “no”. This can cause major contamination such as the scandal in 2015 when lead was discovered in the drinking water at many Hong Kong residential estates and schools.