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26
3.13
In areas not covered by the WPCO, Government
relies on lease conditions applied to land use and on so me
provisions under the Public Health and Municipal Services
Ordinance to control liquid effluents. Neither of these is
effective.
3.14
carried
Planning is also important.
Planning work is
n ew
out to ensure that developments such as
reclamations, typhoon shelters and port facilities do not
disturb water flows in a way that will produce backwaters
where pollution can accu mu late or lead to an unacceptable
deterioration of water quality. This planning function is
assisted by
the Water Quality and Hydraulic Model (WAHMO).
Consultants were commissioned to develop this computer
model and, as from December 1988, it has been used to
explore the implications for water flows and water quality
of a range
of reclamation locations for future port and
airport development.
ADEQUACY OF CURRENT PROGRAMMES
3.15
the
disposal of
sew erage
system
to
Until relatively recently the 1971 strategy for
wastewaters and ad hoc additions to the
appeared
be preventing serious
most of Hong Kong's waters. But in the
be ca me clear that these arrangements were
deterioration in
early 1980's it
not adequate to deal with an increasing flow of wastewater
or
to maintain
to the
acceptable water quality standards in
beneficial uses made of each area, and to
relation
bathing beaches in particu lar.
3.16
However it
infrastructure.
is not simply a case of inadequate
A ma jor problem
widespread
is the
CONFIDENTIAL