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FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985
+IN GENERAL, POLLUTION OF BEACHES IS CAUSED BY DOMESTIC WASTE WATER FROM ADJACENT DEVELOPMENTS DISCHARGING INTO STORMWATER DRAINS, WHICH PASS OVER OR CLOSE TO THE BEACHES.
+ IT IS SUSPECTED THAT, IN CERTAIN CASES, ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS WITH STORMWATER DRAINS OF SEWERS FROM HOUSES AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HINTERLAND CAUSE BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION AT THESE BEACHES. AT STANLEY MAIN BEACH, A SEWER OUTFALL DISCHARGED AT A POINT NOT FAR FROM THE BEACH LIMIT.+
GENERALLY, SOME OF THE STORMWATER DRAINS AT REPULSE BAY HEUNG TO WAN AND TUNG WAN HAVE BEEN DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE MAIN BEACH AREAS UNDER THE FIRST STAGE IMPROVEMENT WORKS.
IN THE CASE OF REPULSE BAY AND HEUNG TO WAN, INTERCEPTING CHAMBERS AND SOAKAWAY PITS AND A SEPTIC TANK HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR THE TREATMENT AND REMOVAL OF THE POLLUTING DOMESTIC WASTE FLOW.
THE SEWER OUTFALL AT STANLEY MAIN BEACH HAS SIMILARLY BEEN DIVERTED TO A DISCHARGE POINT MORE THAN 100 METRES FROM THE GAZETTED BEACH LIMITS.
THE SECOND STAGE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME IS MAINLY CONCERNED WITH THE INTERCEPTION OF DOMESTIC WASTE FLOW AND DIVERSION OF REMAINING DRAINS FROM THE FIVE BEACHES IN QUESTION.
PROPOSALS FOR MORE FUNDAMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF, AND, IF NECESSARY, ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL SEWAGE CONNECTIONS' TO STORMWATER DRAINS WOULD BE INCLUDED.
+ IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE PROGRAMME WILL BE FINALISED SHORTLY TO ENABLE THE NECESSARY CIVIL ENGINEERING WORK TO START, + MR CHAMBERS SAID.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STEPS BEING TAKEN AT THESE POPULAR BEACHES, THREE OTHER BEACHES AFFECTED BY POLLUTION - LIDO BEACH, TING KAU BEACH AND BUTTERFLY BEACH HAVE ALSO BEEN RECEIVING ATTENTION.
THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS AT PRESENT CONSIDERING IMPROVEMENT ACTION ON THE SEWAGE OUTFALL AT LIDO BEACH.
A HYPOCHLORINATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED BY THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT TING KAU BEACH TO DISINFECT THE DOMESTIC WASTE WATER BEFORE IT ENTERS INTO A SUBMARINE SEWAGE OUTFALL.
AT BUTTERFLY BEACH, THE OUTFALL FROM THE PILLAR POINT SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS IS SUSPECTED TO BE A MAJOR SOURCE CONTRIBUTING TO THE POLLUTION OF THE BEACH.
+THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY IS CONDUCTING A BACTERIOPHAGE TRACER STUDY TO ASCERTAIN ITS POLLUTION LOADING. FURTHER IMPROVEMENT ACTION WILL BE BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY, MR CHAMBERS ADDED.
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