Tourism drives water consumption up 8% in October

Water consumption surged in October, rising 8% compared to the same period last year, according to Nacky Kuan, executive director of Macao Water.

Speaking to Radio Macau, Kuan said water usage had also risen 6% year-on-year from January through October.

The primary driver behind this growth was the commercial sector, with Kuan attributing the double-digit expansion to increased activity in the tourism industry.

As integrated resorts and hotels ramped up their water consumption, the commercial segment witnessed a significant uptick. In contrast, domestic water usage remained relatively flat compared to 2023 levels.

Last year, Macau’s total annual water consumption climbed by 7.1%, reaching 89,164 cubic meters.

The commercial and domestic sectors accounted for the largest shares, at 45% and 42% respectively.  Government use stood at 7%, while industry consumption made up 6%.

However, the customer base was predominantly domestic, with 87.8% of customers being households, compared to 11.3% for commercial and industrial users, and the remaining 0.9% being government accounts.

Despite this, the daily per capita consumption rose 5.4% to an average of 357.3 liters, though domestic per capita usage fell 5.9%, settling at 151.2 liters.

Kuan also discussed a recent press conference, where she touched on a drama filmed in both Macau and mainland China that focused on water supply.

Additionally, she mentioned the extension of the financial support plan for repairing water facilities in low-rise buildings until March 31, 2025. According to Kuan, around 600 eligible buildings have applied for this program so far, with 80% having completed the necessary maintenance work.

Separately, Macao Water announced the extension of the Subsidy Program for Repairing Service Connections of Low-Rise Buildings until next March.

This program, launched in 2021, encourages building owners to maintain common water systems.

The company estimates approximately 800 buildings still need repairs to their water supply systems.

So far, 80% of the applications under this program have been completed, though new applicants are still signing up.

The extension of the program will provide the remaining buildings with the opportunity to access subsidies for critical water pipe maintenance. Victoria Chan