Sewage Charges

The sewage charging scheme in Hong Kong was introduced on April 1,
1995. Developed on the 'Polluter Pays Principle', the scheme has two
components: the general sewage charge and trade effluent surcharge. The
general sewage charge is levied at a fixed rate of $1.2 per cubic metre of
wastewater discharged and is payable by all water consumers discharging
wastewater into the public sewerage system. Some 30 trades discharging
at heavier pollutant level are required to pay additionally the trade effluent
surcharge which is calculated according to the quantity and pollutant level
of the wastewater discharged. In the 1996-97 financial year, sewage
charges totalling $695 million were collected.

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