Dr. William Ko is a highly respected figure in Hong Kong’s water industry, widely regarded as the “Father of Dongjiang Water.”(“Mr. Dongjiang Water”). He joined the Water Supplies Department in 1968 and rose through the ranks from Engineer to Senior Engineer, Assistant Director, and ultimately Director. Between 1978 and 2001, he was directly involved in all four phases of the Dongjiang Water Supply Scheme expansion — the only officer in the Department to have participated in every stage of this critical project that secured Hong Kong’s long-term water supply.

Dr. Ko graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in Civil Engineering. He later obtained a Master’s degree in Water Resources Technology from the University of Birmingham under government sponsorship, and a Doctor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Ocean University of China. He was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star and appointed a Justice of the Peace. He is also the first Chinese recipient of the Honorary Membership of the International Water Association. After retirement, he founded the Environmental Technology Foundation Limited, which is a Government recognised charity institute, where he has advanced research on the culture and water purification power of various species of algae in fresh water and different concentration of seawater, while continuing to serve as a visiting or adjunct professor at multiple universities, including as a Lifetime Adjunct Professor at the Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen Graduate School.

Drawing on nearly four decades of practical experience in water management, his deep understanding of the Dongjiang water system, and his ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, Dr. Ko has been invited to serve as Honorary Advisor to SHE Aqua, providing valuable guidance in the areas of water supply security, wastewater treatment, and water resources management.