In the last decade or so, while the number of burst water main cases in Hong Kong has plummeted from a peak of 2 500 in 2000 to about 260 last year, whenever water mains burst and the water supply has to be suspended, local residents and shops will still suffer considerable inconvenience. Naturally we will all be anxious to know when the water supply will resume and where to find the temporary water wagons to meet our emergency needs. To further enhance its quality of service, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) has been proactively exploring ways to make use of information technology to provide the latest water supply information for the community, so that we can make arrangement accordingly for our daily water consumption and business operation.

Earlier this year, the WSD launched a trial version of the WSD Mobile App, which enables us to check on our smartphones for the latest updates on the suspension and resumption of water supply, as well as water bill information, anytime and anywhere. The response was very positive. After soliciting views from users, our WSD colleagues have upgraded the application and its functions and formally launched it on April 22. You can download the WSD Mobile App for free by entering the name “Water Supplies Department” at the Apple App Store or Google Play, or visiting the WSD website at www.wsd.gov.hk.

The WSD Mobile App aims to serve and provide convenient services for the community. One of the major functions is to inform us of emergency and planned water suspension in the districts concerned, the areas/buildings/addresses affected, effective time of water suspension, estimated time of water resumption, reasons for water suspension, temporary water supply arrangements (such as the location of water wagons) and more. You can choose up to three out of the 18 districts across the territory as your concerned districts. Should there be any new water suspension arrangements in those concerned districts (including water-suspension cases the user has chosen not to display), the WSD Mobile App will send out automatic notices. Meanwhile, the user can use the filter function for quick access to all or some of the categories of water suspension (planned suspension or emergency suspension) and water supply (fresh water or salt water), the current status (suspension not yet started or suspension in force) and the concerned cases (individual cases selected by the user). In case of extensive emergency water suspension, the new Notice Board page of the WSD Mobile App will issue the latest announcements so that users can receive the message.

Let me cite two examples to illustrate the function of the WSD Mobile App in our daily life.

Mr Chan, who lives in phase 3 of a big housing estate, has chosen the Kowloon City district as the concerned district. One afternoon, Mr Chan received an automatic message from the WSD Mobile App while at his office. Prompted by the alert message, he visited the Water Suspension Notices page for Kowloon City district and learned that emergency water main maintenance work had to be carried out in the district, and the water supply would be suspended from 4pm to about 11pm for both his flat and his parents’ flat in phase 1 of the same estate. Mr Chan also learned from the message that the WSD had arranged for water wagons to provide fresh water on a temporary basis at phase 5 of the estate, so he brought along some water buckets to get water for his parents and himself immediately after work.

Similarly, a Mr Lee, by checking the messages at the Notice Board of the WSD Mobile App, learned about an announcement for an extensive emergency water suspension in Island West. He immediately called his girlfriend living there and told her to prepare for it.

Another major function of the WSD Mobile App is to help users who have registered for the WSD’s electronic services to check their water bill summaries and receive reminders of overdue and unpaid bills. Through the contact information provided by the WSD Mobile App, users can contact the WSD by email or phone more easily. They can also receive information on WSD activities, such as the “Let’s Save 10L Water” Campaign launched by the WSD earlier. You can find details of the campaign on the Notice Board and visit the related website via a hyperlink. By signing the Commitment Certificate, you will have the chance to receive a pair of complimentary flow controllers to help conserve our precious water resources.

This service provided by the WSD provides instant and practical information for the community in a convenient way. We welcome further comments on the functions of the WSD Mobile App, which will enable the WSD to gather ideas and provide better services for the community.