The Macao Water Supply Company Limited held the inauguration of its New Coloane Water Treatment Plant (NCWTP) on March 14, 2007. The company also launched a two-week-long Water Quality Campaign on the same day to increase public awareness of monitoring water quality and using water wisely.

Have you ever thought about where your drinking water comes from, beyond the tap? Actually, our raw water (i.e. water before it is treated) comes from West River's Modaomen Channel in Zhuhai City. When it comes to Macau, the Ilha Verde Treatment Plant of the Macao Water will do a lot of treatments and tests to ensure the water is drinkable.

Following the fast developing gaming industry, the demand for water also increases. Only one water treatment plant in Macau is not enough to handle the growing water demand. In order to solve this serious problem, Executive Director of Macao Water, Franklin Willemyns said, "The aim of the NCWTP is to meet the growing water demand in the fast developing Co-Tai area."

"Macao Water has invested nearly MOP30 million on this new project," Willemyns said. "This new water treatment plant has a capacity of handling 30,000 cubic meters per day." After the NCWTP is put into operation, there will be a 13 percent increase of the total water production capacity in Macau. And Willemyns also claimed that NCWTP can produce water of excellent quality by maintaining a low turbidity level.

According to Macao Water, the company is committed to providing water, which complies with European Standards for Drinking Water. On February 8, Macao Water signed a new five-year agreement on water quality monitoring along the Modamen Waterway of the West River with the Water Resources Bureau of the Pearl River Water Resources Commission. The agreement allows Macao Water to receive a regular analysis of the raw water in the river, and in case of any pollution or accidents, Macao Water will be notified immediately, so that necessary actions can be taken to protect the population of Macau.

In addition, Macao Water also cooperates closely with the Zhuhai Water Supply Company Limited in all aspects of the raw water quality supplied from Zhuhai. And, in cooperation with the government, Macao Water tests samples randomly every day in its water treatment plants and at as many as 76 sites throughout the distribution network of the local water supply system. All these efforts are to guarantee the quality of both raw water and treated water is under rigorous control.

In recent years, the problem of water resource is a hot topic in the world. It is widely believed that nations may likely fight with each other for water in the future. In fact, people's livelihood depends on water, we can not live without water. As a result, to use water wisely is the responsibility of every citizen.

<END>