Water management: Secretary for Development Carrie Lam visits Marina Barrage in Singapore.

Hong Kong will conserve precious water resources through implementing a management strategy comprising conservation, recycling and development of alternative water resources, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam says.

Addressing the 7th Ministers' Forum on Infrastructure Development in the Asia Pacific Region in Singapore today, she said Hong Kong has a duty and an obligation to contribute to water conservation in the region.

"In aspiring for sustainable development, the total water management strategy was promulgated recently to better prepare Hong Kong for uncertainties such as acute climate changes and low rainfall, and enhance our role as a good partner to other municipalities in the Pearl River Delta in promoting sustainable use of water in the light of the rapid growth of water demand in the region," Mrs Lam said.

On the city's water supply infrastructure, she said a programme has been in place to replace or rehabilitate almost 40% of the existing 7,800km of water mains by 2015.

The Government will also modernise water treatment works by adopting ozonisation and membrane technology in treatment plants, and by instituting automation to enhance monitoring and control.

Steps have been taken to develop the option of seawater desalination using osmosis technology, while pilot schemes for water reclamation are on trial at locations where provision of seawater for flushing is not economical.