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Existing and Planned Measures on the Promotion of Racial Equality

Existing and planned measures on the promotion of racial equality

Water Supplies Department (WSD) is providing quality and reliable water supplies to over 99.9% of the population in Hong Kong regardless of their racial background.  Applications for water supplies or enquiries relating to customer accounts and other water supply services can be made to our five Customer Enquiry Centres (CECs) in person or Customer Telephone Enquiry Centre (CTEC) by phone.  We endeavor to provide our customers of diverse race with equal access to our services in the CECs and CTEC.

(A) CECs

The five CECs provide services from 9:00am to 5:30pm, Mondays to Fridays, and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.  Addresses of the CECs are listed below-

• Wan Chai CEC – 1/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai

• Tai Kok Tsui CEC – G/F, 41 Tit Shu Street, Tai Kok Tsui

• Sha Tin CEC – 3/F, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin

• Tai Po CEC – 4/F, Tai Po Government Offices, 1 Ting Kok Road, Tai Po

• Tuen Mun CEC – 7/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun

Services Concerned

• CECs provide one-stop services to our customers for applications for water supplies and enquiries relating to customer accounts and other water supply services.

Existing Measures

• While services in CECs are provided in Chinese and English in general, information sheets in eight different languages for the customers of diverse race including Bahasa Indonesian, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese are displayed in conspicuous positions and available at the counters in CECs to promote the free interpretation services through the Telephone. Interpretation Service (TELIS) hotline of the Centre for Harmony and Enhancement of Ethnic Minority Residents (CHEER).  For customers speaking neither Chinese nor English, CEC staff will assist to call the TELIS to provide the free interpretation services of CHEER to the customers.   

Assessment of Future Work

• WSD will review the services in CECs for customers of diverse race from time to time and make improvement as necessary.

Additional Measures Taken/To Be Taken

• WSD will provide training for staff in CECs in providing services to customers of diverse race including the free interpretation services of CHEER through TELIS. 

(B) CTEC

CTEC provides 24-hour hotline services throughout the year.  The enquiry hotline number is 2824 5000.

Services Concerned 

• CTEC provide telephone services to our customers for applications for water supplies and enquiries relating to customer accounts and other water supply services.

Existing Measures 

• Other than generic languages selection in the hotline system, a language option labeled “4 – Other Languages” has been set up in the hotline for selection by customers speaking neither Chinese nor English. By pressing “4”, calls will be redirected to the Telephone Interpretation Service hotline of CHEER directly for providing free interpretation services to the customers.

Assessment of Future Work 

• WSD will review the services of CTEC for customers of diverse race from time to time and make improvement as necessary.

Additional Measures Taken/To Be Taken 

• WSD will provide training for staff in CTEC to deliver suitable services to customers with diverse racial backgrounds, including training on coordinating the use of the free interpretation services offered by CHEER through TELIS.

For enquiries concerning our existing and planned measures on the promotion of racial equality, please contact Mr Calvin C F LAU, Senior Engineer/ Headquarters via the following channels -

Telephone no. : 2829 4709
Fax no. : 2511 9080
Email : wsdinfo@wsd.gov.hk 
Postal Address : 48/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong