THE ENVIRONMENT
Bathing beaches are an important recreational resource. Due to the great effort expended on pollution control in critical areas, the water quality of most of Hong Kong's beaches has improved. However, due to the recent rapid development in Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan districts, beaches in these two districts are still sporadically polluted by domestic sewage discharged from the beach hinterlands where sewerage facilities will need to be improved.
To safeguard the public against swimming in polluted waters, the Environmental Protection Department has adopted strict E. coli (a bacterium) standards for water quality control in bathing beaches. This standard relates to the degree of faecal pollution and was devised by the department after a very thorough study of the health risks that local bathers face. The following table shows how beaches were classified in 1992 and 1993.
Bathing season geometric
Annual beach rank
mean of E. coli count per
100 mL of beach water
Good
Up to 24
Fair
25 to 180
Poor
Very Poor
181 to 610
More than 610
Health risk cases per
1 000 swimmers
Undetectable
Under 10
Number of beaches
1992
1993
22
22
22
19
10 to 15
Over 15
9
12
3
3
Unfortunately, complaints occur even at beaches that are free from sewage pollution, usually because of floating refuse and occasionally because of slime caused by algae.
Protecting the Environment
The Administrative Framework
The Environmental Protection Department is the government's main store of expertise in pollution control and environmental management. Its tasks include: providing advice on policy; implementing programmes to meet policy goals for all aspects of pollution; undertaking environmental planning and assessment; devising, enforcing and reviewing the effectiveness of all environmental legislation, and recommending new or amended legislation; and planning and developing facilities for liquid and solid waste disposal.
Other departments also play a major role in protecting Hong Kong's environment. The Planning Department takes care of the environment in government urban and rural planning at strategic and local level. The Drainage Services Department designs, builds, operates and maintains sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal facilities throughout the territory. The Territory Development Department carries out sewerage and sewage disposal works in new towns. The Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department provide refuse collection services and maintain environmental hygiene. The Civil Engineering Department oversees and operates landfills for the disposal of waste. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for wildlife and countryside conservation; manages agricultural weirs; and operates and maintains departmental farm waste treatment facilities. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department operates refuse incinerators and promotes energy efficiency. The Marine Department clears floating refuse and oil from harbour waters, and enforces the law on oil spills.
Planning Against Pollution
Environmental planning aims to achieve land uses that are environmentally acceptable and compatible among neighbours. A pro-active approach is adopted to anticipate and
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