Macao Water Executive Director Nacky Kuan Sio Peng said Wednesday that Big Taipa Hill or Small Taipa Hill were possible sites where the company plans to build one more elevated treated water tank, but the final decision would only be made after completing a feasibility study later this year.
Kuan made the comments on the sidelines of the tap water supply j concessionaire’s spring media lunch at Macau Tower.
Kuan said that the feasibility study of the proposed elevated treated water tank would be carried out in response to the city’s water supply shortage during Typhoon Hato last August that flooded several pumping stations, adding that the study would involve the height of the tank, its volume, water pipe network, and how much land it would occupy.
“We’re thinking of Big Taipa Hill or Small Taipa Hill, because they aren´t many hills on the peninsula,” Kuan said, adding that construction would take about two to three years.
Currently, Macao Water has four elevated treated water tanks, two on Guia Hill and two in Taipa.
According to Kuan, the project is part of the company’s short-term, medium-term and long-term water supply improvement plans to help enhance the company’s disaster resistance capability.
Other projects the water company is currently carrying out are a water treatment plant in Seac Pai Van and the Macau segment of the fourth raw water pipe from Zhuhai to Macau.
Macau imports virtually all of its water from the mainland.
According to Kuan, the city’s annual water consumption reached 8.436 million cubic metres last year, a two percent increase from 2016, with Taipa and Coloane – including Cotai – accounting for 37 percent of total water consumption.
Kuan said her company expected water consumption in Taipa and Coloane to grow two to three percent this year, so there was a pressing need for the water treatment -plant in Seac Pai Van.
“Construction will take two years, so that should be completed, we expect, before June 2020,” Kuan said.
In addition, Kuan said Macao Water won’t ask the government for an increase in its water service fee this year, adding that an initial unaudited report shows that the company made a profit of 70 million patacas last year, about 5 million patacas more than in 2016.
Setup in 1935, Macao Water is a private company holding a monopoly concession granted by the government to supply Macau with tap water. Its renewable concession expires in 2030.
The company is owned by a joint venture between France-based Suez Environment and NWS Holdings from Hong Kong.
