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WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1992
DETAILED INVESTIGATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT HAVE SHOWN THAT THE SCHEME IS THE MOST RELIABLE WAY TO REDUCE THE POLLUTION OF TOLO HARBOUR, BUT IT WILL NOT HARM ANY PART OF VICTORIA HARBOUR.
HARBOUR,
"WE DON'T NEED DRINKABLE WATER TO IMPROVE VICTORIA SAID PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER, MR PAUL HOLMES.
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HE SAID THE SCHEME WOULD TAKE OVER ONE TONNE OF NITROGEN POLLUTANT AWAY FROM THE SENSITIVE WATERS OF TOLO HARBOUR EVERYDAY.
"TOGETHER WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PROCESSES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED, THIS WILL CUT THE POLLUTION LOAD ON TOLO HARBOUR BY HALF, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD ACHIEVE THIS RESULT SO EFFICIENTLY,
LESS
"THE RESULT OF TOLO HARBOUR WILL BE BETTER WATER QUALITY, RED TIDES, AND AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL ENCOURAGE THE RETURN OF NATURAL MARINE LIFE.
"THE FISHING INDUSTRY WILL BENEFIT, AND SO WILL THE THOUSANDS OF REGULAR VISITORS WHO WISH TO ENJOY PLEASANT COUNTRYSIDE FREE THE INTRUSION OF URBAN POLLUTION.
FROM
"THE PURIFIED EFFLUENT WILL BE PUMPED INTO THE KAI TAK NULLAH. THIS NULLAH IS VERY HEAVILY POLLUTED AT PRESENT, AND ANOTHER PROJECT UNDER THE SEWERAGE MASTER PLAN FOR EAST KOWLOON WILL STOP THIS POLLUTION.
STAGE I OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED IN MID-1994 COST OF $484 MILLION,
MR HOLMES POINTED OUT THAT THE EXPORT SCHEME WOULD WATER QUALITY IN THE NULLAH.
MUCH OF
AT THE
IMPROVE
"THE SEWAGE EFFLUENT IS SO THOROUGHLY TREATED BEFORE IT LEAVES SHA TIN THAT IT WILL BE MUCH BETTER THAN THE WATER IN THE NULLAH. IT WILL INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN THE NULLAH BY ABOUT HALF THIS IS ONE OF THE KEY INDICATORS OF THE HEALTH OF A BODY OF WATER.
"EVENTUALLY, THE PURIFIED EFFLUENT FROM SHA TIN WILL FLOW OUT INTO VICTORIA HARBOUR, BECAUSE THE WATER IS DISPERSED RAPIDLY BY TIDES AND CURRENTS, THERE WILL BE NO TIME FOR HARMFUL RED TIDES ΤΟ GROW.
"THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM TOLO HARBOUR, WHERE THE SHAPE OF THE INLET CAUSES POLLUTANTS TO ACCUMULATE AND ENCOURAGES RED TIDES TO GROW.
"WHILE CARRYING OUT THIS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO WORKING ON ITS STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME.
"THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS SCHEME, WHICH WILL COLLECT AND TREAT 80% OF THE SEWAGE LOAD THAT NOW GOES INTO VICTORIA HARBOUR, COMPLETE IN 1997 AT A COST OF ABOUT $3.1 BILLION,
** HE SAID.
WILL
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