To enhance awareness and involvement of the community in the protection of water quality, the Hong Kong (China) Regional Committee of the International Water Association, the Education Bureau, the Drainage Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department and the Water Supplies Department jointly organized a ceremony of World Water Monitoring Day 2008 (WWMD) on 28 September 2008 at the High Island Reservoir.
Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Development, Mrs. Carrie LAM said that we should try our best to protect our water sources from being contaminated and build up a habit of saving water so as to contribute to the sustainable development of our society. Director of Water Supplies and Chairman of the IWAHK, Mr. MA Lee Tak, said that the Government is actively implementing a total water management programme to better prepare Hong Kong for future uncertainties such as acute climate changes and a decrease in rainfall.
More than 300 secondary school representatives from 32 schools attended the ceremony. Under the guidance of chemists from the Water Supplies Department, the students used handy test kits to measure four basic indicators: temperature, acidity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. More details of WWMD 2008 are available at the website www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.
