FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1990
11
CONSULTANCY STUDY ON OCEANOGRAPHIC SURVEY AND MODELLING
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THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (FRIDAY) SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH A CONSULTANT ΤΟ UNDERTAKE OCEANOGRAPHIC' SURVEYS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELLING, FOR THE OCEANIC OUTFALL OF KONG'S STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME.
HONG
AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID AT THE END OF LAST YEAR IT WAS PROPOSED THAT A LONG SEA OUTFALL SHOULD BE BUILT TO DISPOSE OF TREATED SEWAGE INTO DEEP OCEANIC WATERS WHERE STRONG CURRENTS COULD DISPERSE THE EFFLUENT SAFELY.
THE $15 BILLION STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME WILL MOVE RAPIDLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND THIS CONSULTANCY STUDY AIMS TO USE STATE-OF-ART TECHNOLOGY TO SELECT THE MOST APPROPRIATE OUTFALL LOCATION AND TO MODEL THE WATER DISPERSION EFFECTS.
THE CONSULTANCY STUDY WILL DO THIS BY USING TWO TECHNIQUES.
THE FIRST IS TO DO A SERIES OF FIELD SURVEYS, MAINLY IN CHINESE WATERS, USING THE MOST UP-TO-DATE ELECTRONIC AND GEOPHYSICAL METHODS AVAILABLE TO COLLECT DATA ON CURRENTS AND EXISTING WATER QUALITY.
THE SECOND IS TO USE SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER MODELS CALLED WAHMO (WATER QUALITY AND HYDRAULIC MODELS), ONE OF THE LARGEST ENGINEERING MATHEMATICAL MODELS EVER USED, TO SIMULATE ALL THE WATER OF HONG KONG, THE PEARL RIVER ESTUARY, MIRS BAY AND SOUTH OF HONG KONG FROM MACAU TO DANGAN (LEMA) ISLANDS.
POLLUTION DOES NOT RECOGNISE ANY BOUNDARIES AND WATERS IN THESE AREAS ARE ALREADY AFFECTED BY FLOWS FROM THE PEARL RIVER. BOTH THE GUANGDONG AND THE MACAU AUTHORITIES HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE RESULTS AND ARE PROVIDING SUPPORT.
THE CONSULTANCY STUDY, AT A COST OF $53 MILLION, WILL TAKE 27 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
SIGNING THE AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSULTANCY STUDY WERE THE EPD'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MR MIKE STOKOE, AND MR ROBERT ARMISTEAD OF BINNIE CONSULTANTS, DR JIM RODGER OF HYDRAULICS RESEARCH AND MR DEREK JOHNSON OF WATER RESEARCH CENTRE.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE KPD'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER, (WATER POLICY), MR PAUL TEL. 835 1234.
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PRINCIPAL
HOLMES,
ON