太園抽水站 Taiyuan Pumping Station
水的疑惑——給孩子的一封信
孩子，很久不見了。近來生活過得好嗎？有沒有把媽照顧好？
爸上個禮拜到河源及尋烏考察了，到了東江的源頭了解水資源的情況。東江就是我們每天主要飲用水的來源。老師不是曾告訴你我們的飲用水當中有百分之八十是來自東江嗎？爸這次就從舅舅住的那個城市深圳往它的源頭尋烏走了一遍。
孩子，我真希望和你一同走過這個歴程。過去的數天是個多麼令人印象深刻的經歴，多麼令人震憾的畫面。你應該想像不了家裡水籠頭流出來似清澈的水是來自這條流域，你也不會想到你在喝的水的「本質」是這樣的。
工業園區接駁到東江的一個水渠 A canal connecting Industrial park to Dongjiang
孩子，讓我告訴你水從尋烏流出來後，會流經河源，惠州，東莞及深圳幾個大城市。我們喝的水主要是在東莞附近一個叫太園的地方把水抽入處理廠處理後經管道輸送來香港。可是當爸看見抽入水廠的水後，我是內心就有很多疑惑：我們喝下這樣的水，能健康嗎？為什麼我們會在這裡抽水？這些水發生了什麼事？於是爸跟著大學教授，河流專家及環保團體沿河上去找答案。
在一個叫做惠州的地方，在河的兩岸就有一些工業區，那裡有很多工廠，它們有些會把污水排出去河流，令河流的水由清澈變成污濁，就像你上勞作課時，把灰黄色的水彩墨掉入清水一樣，渾渾濁濁的。還有一個叫河源的地方，它有一個很大的湖，也是一個像香港水塘一樣有儲水功能的水庫，叫新豐江水庫。它的水很美麗而且清潔，是中國六類水質中最好的一種，可以直接飲用，這當然要爸媽在的時候才可以這樣做，你也可以在上通識課時和老師討論一下。這麼好的水從新豐江水庫流出來在河源就遇上了原來黄黄灰灰的東江水，多麼令人生氣！我們就不能喝一口清澈的水，吸一口新鮮的空氣嗎？
新豐江水庫旁鎮上仍以伐木作燃料 The town near Xinfeng Reservoir still logs for fuel
孩子，請記著，長大後別只著眼工作，多看看我們的環境，多到郊外去，我們不應只活在石屎森林當中，小鳥和昆蟲都是我們的好朋友。你認識他們才會欣賞他們，才會保護他們。
孩子，別再老是嚷著買玩具，製造玩具時的原料及染料不少都流入了河流，不經不覺小魚，小鳥，你和我都喝了這些水。少買點，工廠少做點，河流會清澈一點。
孩子，別再沖涼時泡水玩小黄鴨了。多少人都不夠水用，沒有乾淨的水喝，別再說你不知道。老師說了，爸也親眼看見且告訴你了。中國的專家都說，再過五年剛才爸提及那幾個城市包括舅舅住的深圳都將會不夠水用，我們還該浪費水嗎？
孩子，爸不能每天都提著你要怎樣做，那些不該做。未來的世界是你們的，我多麼希望你的世界和我小時候的一樣，山青水秀，空氣清新，人人快樂。可是，現在的大人們總認為「發展是硬道理」值得讓我們令山不再青，水不再澈，空氣不再清新。還記得那次在田裡玩泥土飛彈和田上飛碟嗎？多刺激好玩啊！雖然你媽把我駡了一頓，把衣服都弄成泥漿色了，但我還是高興你愛上和大自然一起的感覺。
好了，爸回來再和你去堆沙和游泳吧。記著，聽媽的話。
愛你的
爸
東江源頭 Source of Dongjiang
Water story - A letter to my son
Son, it has been a long time since I last saw you. How is it going? Is mom good?
Dad had a field trip to Heyuan and Xunwu last week on water source and its quality from Dongjiang. Dongjiang is our main daily drinking water source.Your teachers have told you that about 80 per cent of our drinking water are from Dongjiang, haven’t they? This time, Dad joined a the field trip to its fountainhead, Xunwu, starting from your uncle living city Shenzhen.
Son, I really wish that we could experience the whole journey together. It was an impressive experience in the past few days. Every single picture would strike you. You can never imagine the looked-clean water comes from the water tap of our home is from this river basin. And you cannot imagine the “innate quality” of the water you drink every day.
Son, let me tell you how water flows after leaving Xunwu. It passes through many places including big cities like Heyuan, Huizhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen. The water we drink is primarily pumped into a treatment plant near Dongguan which is called Taiyuan Pumping Station, the water will then be delivered to Hong Kong via pipeline after treatment. While Dad saw the water pumped into the plant, I was worry about our health by drinking in water of such quality. Why should we get water from this point of the basin? What happened to this water? With so many queries, I thus followed professors, river experts and environment groups to find out the answer up along the river.
In a place called Huizhou, industrial areas are right located in both sides of the river. There are many factories. Some of them would discharge the sewage to the river, which pollute the river. Imagine the grey yellow color ink falls into the water in your drawing class, the water turns turbid immediately. And there is another place called Heyuan with a very large lake. The lake functions the same as Hong Kong's reservoirs for storing water. This lake is called Xinfengiiang Reservoir. Its water is clear and clean, which is also of the highest standard in China among the six categories of water quality. You can drink the water directly here. But of course, you can only do this while Mum and dad are with you. You may also discuss this issue with your teachers during the general education class. Nonetheless, such good water-flow from Xinfengjiang Reservoir encounters the Dongjiang water-flow which is in grey and yellow colour in Heyuan. How annoying it is! Couldn’t we drink some limpid water? Breathe some fresh air in?
Son, remember not to be drowned in your work when you grow up, you should be in touch with our environment regularly. We should not only live in the concrete jungle, but visit the countryside more. Birds and insects are our friends. You get to know them, so you will appreciate them and will protect them.
Son, do not always clamor to buy toys, a lot of raw and dye materials are flowed into the river during the manufacturing process. Because of this, fish, birds, even you and I are drinking this polluted water. If we buy less, factories produce less, the river would be less polluted.
Son, do not play small yellow duck when showering, water is scare for many people and they even don’t have enough drinking water. Do not say “I don’t know” anymore. Your teachers have told you, I saw it and am telling you again. . Even Chinese planning Experts revealed that five years later, the cities that mentioned above, including your uncle living city Shenzhen, would not have sufficient water resources. In this case, should we keep wasting water?
Son, Dad is not gonna remind you what should be or should not be done every day. The future is yours. I really hope that your world can be the same as the one when I was a kid, green mountains and clear water around, fresh air everywhere, and everyone is joyful. Nevertheless, nowadays, adults hold the golden rule of “development is the overriding reason” which is worth letting us make our mountains no longer green, water no longer clear, air no longer fresh. Do you still remember last time we played clay missile and Frisbee on the fields? How funny and exciting! Though your Mum scolded me for the muddy clothes, I was still glad that you love the way being with the nature.
Well, Dad promises to have sand sculpting and go swimming with you when I come back. Take care of mom.
Loves,
Dad