Treatment and Disposal of Waste Water

Waste water disposal projects being implemented by the department are
broadly divided into two categories: 'Sewerage Master Plan (SMP)
schemes' which are 16 territory-wide sewerage rehabilitation and
improvement schemes; and the 'Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme'
which is a multi-billion-dollar project to collect and treat sewage
discharges from the urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The
latter scheme was developed in 1989 under the new strategy to combat
water pollution in Hong Kong.

Projects under these two categories, valued at some $7 billion, were under
construction by the Drainage Services Department, and projects worth a
further $9 billion were at various stages of planning and design in 1997.

On Hong Kong Island, work continued under the Central, Western and
Wan Chai West SMP to lay 5.9 kilometres of trunk sewers and build new
pumping stations and new screening facilities. Two works contracts for
sewer laying and re-lining work under the Wan Chai East and North Point
SMP will commence in 1998. As far as practical, trenchless construction
methods were planned to minimise disruptions to traffic and
inconvenience to the public.

On the other side of Victoria Harbour, sewerage improvement work under
the East Kowloon SMP, the Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi SMP
and the North and South Kowloon SMP were progressing for completion
in 1998. Construction of the remaining sewers under the West Kowloon
SMP will start in 1998 while planning and design work was in hand for
the Tseung Kwan O SMP.

In the New Territories, the initial phases of sewerage improvement work
for the Port Shelter SMP and the laying of a 2.8-kilometre pressure sewer
under the Yuen Long and Kam Tin SMPs were completed in 1997.
Planning and design work was in progress for the remaining phases of
these two SMPs. At Sham Tseng, reclamation for the construction of
a sewage treatment works was completed in June 1997. The laying of
associated public sewers along Castle Peak Road and construction of the
sewage treatment works will start in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

Implementation of the $5.32 billion Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme,
Stage I, reached its final stage of completion apart from the sewage
conveyance tunnels. The Stonecutters Island sewage treatment works - a
key element of the scheme - was commissioned in May 1997. The plant,
the world's largest chemically enhanced primary treatment plant, is
capable of serving a projected population of 3.5 million by the year 2021.
Tunnelling works were delayed by a contractual dispute in 1996.
Construction of all six tunnels resumed after new contractors were
appointed and it is expected to be completed in 2001.

The department upgraded existing sewage treatment facilities as another
initiative to improve the quality of treated sewage and hence the receiving
waters. The upgrading works completed in 1997 included the sludge
disposal facilities for Yuen Long, Tai Po, Shek Wu Hui and Sai Kung
sewage treatment works, and the upgrading and refurbishment of the
existing facilities at various sewage treatment works. The planning and
design of the Stage III extension to the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works
began in early 1997 while the upgrading of Shek Wu Hui sewage
treatment work was scheduled to commence in January 1998.

[Back] [Forward]