Zone A to have an automated water consumption metering system

Nacky Kuan

Zone A of the new landfill sites will be the first area in Macau to have a new water metering system installed by Macao Water, the company’s executive director, Nacky Kuan, said yesterday on the sidelines of its Media Spring Luncheon.
According to Kuan, the new system allows the metering of water consumption from the users in real-time, without the need for deploying staff to carry out readings on water meters of every unit.
Concurrently with this new system, Macao Water will also enforce, from this year, a new online water quality monitoring system, which will allow the company to monitor the quality of the water being supplied across all districts in real-time.
“[As new projects are being launched this year,] we are going to launch an online monitoring system to monitor the water quality in real-time in the different districts of Macau. We plan to install several online sensors [that will collect, analyze and send the data in each area]. We believe that, with this system, we can [enhance] on the water supply service because if we are aware of the water quality supply [in every place in real time], we can respond immediately to any emergency situation,” Kuan said.

Water recycling pilot project
Another area Macao Water is currently working on is the pilot project that aims to test a system for recycling and reusing water. The project has no implementation date as of yet, but this would be tentatively done through a partnership with the University of Macau (UM) and will take place at the university campus in Hengqin.
“For the time being, we are negotiating with the UM; maybe we will do a pilot project regarding water reuse in the campus. But the [start of this project] is not yet confirmed,” Kuan said, adding that the company aims to continue developing this type of project in the future to “inspire students for innovation.”

Company profits drop 20%
Macao Water has recorded a drop in the company’s profits by 20% in 2020 compared to the year before, Kuan acknowledged in a response to the media.
According to the figures quoted, the water supply company’s profits have declined by MOP70 million.
The executive director noted that this is the result of the significant reduction registered by the hospitality sector, with hotels, restaurants, and food & beverage establishments recording less consumption due to the lack of visitation to Macau last year.
“There was a significant drop in the commercial sector of some 24% [in 2020, when compared with 2019]. However, if tourist numbers recover to the same level [of 2019], we believe that the water consumption will go back to the [previous] level,” Kuan said. “We are expecting a water consumption [recovery] rise of about 3% this year but it will take us at least two or three years to return to the levels of 2019,” she added.
According to Kuan, the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the drastic drop in the tourist numbers in Macau, brought the latest results to the levels in 2016 or 2017. Nevertheless, she expressed hopes of an immediate recovery as soon as the tourist figures rise.

Seac Pai Van plant already supplying islands district

The new water treatment plant located at Seac Pai Van has been operating since the beginning of this year. It is supplying water to both Taipa and Coloane Islands at a rate of 390,000 to 520,000 cubic meters per day, Macao Water announced.
In 2021, the company will also focus its attention upon replacing old water meters as well as on continuing the work of updating the street piping systems to improve capacity.