The Government would subsidise needy families and social services organisations in buying bottled water once the four-level ‘Potable Water Salinity Classification Scale’ rose to ‘Moderate’ (yellow). In the meantime, the Macao Water Company would also distribute two million bottles of distilled water to the elderly and the disabled, by teams of volunteers organised by the Social Welfare Bureau. The Salinity Response Task Force today announced these and other initiatives to relieve difficulties caused by the seasonal period of increased salinity in potable water. Financially vulnerable people and families on Social Welfare Bureau subsidies would be given 90 patacas each per month, 50 per cent up from last year, to buy bottled water to dilute potable water. The subsidies, costing the Government about 1.45 million patacas each month, would benefit about 6,500 families, or 16,100 people. Moreover, 135 social services facilities -- nursery schools, centres for children, youth, the elderly and the disabled -- that had been receiving subsidies would be given certain varying sums of subsidies by the Government. This is expected to help about 12,000 people, at a cost of 300,000 patacas each month. Meanwhile, volunteers organised by the Social Welfare Bureau and more than 20 NGOs would distribute bottled water to those who in need. The Macao Water Company would not collect the minimum charge from consumers starting next month to February 2007, and would offer further reduction when the salinity scale reached 'Fairly High' (orange).
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