Water is an essential and irreplaceable natural resource and environmental element on which all life depends, and freshwater is a very valuable resource. However, many people may overlook the preciousness of water resources in their daily lives, and water conservation and water security are fundamental to safeguarding our daily lives. The United Nations has long been committed to addressing the global water crisis caused by the rising demand for water, and the UN-Water Conference held in 1977 issued a serious warning to the world that water would soon become a profound social crisis and that the next crisis after the oil crisis would be water. On 18 January 1993, the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to celebrate World Water Day on 22 March each year.

At the same time, to guarantee the efficiency of water use, a water efficiency management system, marked by an energy efficiency rating, has been established to clarify and certify the efficiency rating of manufacturers' products.

The water efficiency system specifies the number of liters of water flow per minute at a specific dynamic pressure and provides a specific level of energy consumption for the product, which can be applied to water, electricity, gas, etc.

Hong Kong Water Supplies Department in collaboration with TVB produced a promotional film on water efficiency add.WALRUS 香港

Hong Kong, a cosmopolitan city of over 7 million people, does not have an abundance of freshwater. The terrain is mountainous, there are no major rivers or lakes, groundwater is scarce and natural disasters are frequent due to the coast and the creation of land by the sea. Hong Kong's water problems are relatively more complex and the emphasis on water resources has led to many interesting solutions and experiences for other medium and large cities in other countries with similar problems. For example, in terms of water conservation, Hong Kong has adopted a special set of toilet flushing pipes, with pumps from the local waterworks supplying the water specifically for flushing toilets. Water for toilet flushing is also used in 42 water treatment plants along the coast, using a network of pipes to supply treated seawater to people and businesses, effectively reducing Hong Kong's freshwater consumption by almost 20%.

*Image from internet

Because of the use of seawater-treated water resources, there is a corresponding increase in the requirements for plumbing and bathroom products. Seawater pipes are more susceptible to corrosion and are more likely to burst than fresh water pipes, and the corrosion resistance requirements and application efficiency requirements of seawater for bathroom products and water fittings are also relatively high. The solution in Hong Kong is to use cement and epoxy materials to replace pipes, and in some places, PVC pipes are used. Corresponding bathroom products are more stringent quality testing and qualified requirements, Wallop's bathroom products have met the Hong Kong quality qualified testing listed Oh.

In addition, the use of heavy rainfall precipitation, the construction of rainwater flow control underground cisterns, the use of a comprehensive set of programs to control flooding in urban areas can also store water resources, cistern system operated by computer, directly connected to the Hong Kong Observatory. The system is computerized and linked directly to the Hong Kong Observatory. When the system monitors that heavy rainfall is expected, the pond is activated. As the rain subsides, the basin is automatically drained and safely released into the appropriate pipes.

While promoting the public's obligation to conserve water, new integrated solutions and systems are constantly being developed to ensure that people have secure water for production and living, and to provide support for more environmental and sustainable development.

Hong Kong Government Water Conservation Proposal（click to jump）