Dog in Reservoir

[wet]

It is illegal to let your dog swim in the reservoirs, but how about if it ran in without your wilful wanting it to. Have you committed an offence?

the waterworks ordinance (cap 102) says it is prohibited if one “washes or causes or permits any animal to enter [reservoir, or waterway leading to reservoir]”.

If you didn’t wash the dog, didn’t push or bring the dog to the water and didn’t stand idly by, would it be an offence?

My dog sometimes runs down from the trail and takes a quick dip in the water to cool down. I won’t notice it until it’s too late, and if I’m up ahead I won’t notice it until my dog comes back to me. The dog is well trained to leave other people alone and come to me, but when it is hot it is hot and it sneaks into water when it thinks it can get away with it.

[chuckster007]

As long as you are not standing there looking like you are purposely letting your dog swim in the reservoir, no one would care.

[greenmark]

It is illegal to let your dog swim in the reservoirs, but how about if it ran in without your wilful wanting it to. Have you committed an offence?

the waterworks ordinance (cap 102) says it is prohibited if one “washes or causes or permits any animal to enter [reservoir, or waterway leading to reservoir]”.

If you didn’t wash the dog, didn’t push or bring the dog to the water and didn’t stand idly by, would it be an offence?

My dog sometimes runs down from the trail and takes a quick dip in the water to cool down. I won’t notice it until it’s too late, and if I’m up ahead I won’t notice it until my dog comes back to me. The dog is well trained to leave other people alone and come to me, but when it is hot it is hot and it sneaks into water when it thinks it can get away with it.

"...or permits any animal to enter..."

I'm guessing that means you have to actively prevent your dog from running in there.

Mind you, in the past I've permitted some wild ducks to land on the reservoirs.

[Pauljoecoe]

Never quite understood the issue with reservoirs (other than safety). The water will be treated before it reaches the public. There is plenty of wildlife in there naturally anyway.

[Coolboy]

Never quite understood the issue with reservoirs (other than safety). The water will be treated before it reaches the public. There is plenty of wildlife in there naturally anyway.

The regulations were made in the early colonial period when the reservoirs were the only source of freshwater for the city's inhabitants, so care had to be taken not to pollute it. These days of course, it's a different story, most of the freshwater comes from up north, but the laws were never changed to reflect the new reality.

[aw451]

One of the big reasons is to prevent invasive species (including mercy release turtles and random fish) from being introduced to the waters and killing all of the fish that were deliberately put there to prevent algae formation.

[Sage]

Original Post Deleted

Permits is deliberately used as it's all encompassing. Greenmark's ducks comment was right on point.

They can prosecute you for every way 'permits' can be understood - Whether you can be convicted on appeal, all depends on who you are and which judge they've managed to draft in for an impartial decision....

[angeluscomplex]

The Ordinance is basically implying that you should keep your dog on a LEASH so that it is prevented from entering the reservoir.

[hullexile]

It is all bollocks though. The dogs will not impact the drinking water.

I spent the first 40 years of my life drinking water from the River Thames valley. It was said we drank our own piss seven times on average . Thousands of boats, thousands of dogs including mine, thousands swimming.

[PointingFinger]

anyone who has ever hiked around Kowloon reservoir will most likely have seen all the monkeys jumping into the reservoir from the nearby trees which is why the "don't swim" signs around the place are a bit of a joke.