(c)
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45
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What assistance and advice can such establishments expect from the relevant departments on water conservation or sewage treatment?
Reply:
Mr President,
It may be useful to first clear up some degree of confusion regarding water charges and sewage charges which are different utility charges. Water is charged at $4.58 per cubic meter whilst the general sewage charge is $1.20 per cubic meter. The general sewage charge, which is paid by those who discharge effluent into the public sewerage system, is billed together with the water charge by the Water Supplies Department. In addition, a Trade Effluent Surcharge, which is paid by those trades and industries whose strength of effluent is higher than that for domestic discharges, is billed separately by the Drainage Services Department. The trades and industries who are subject to this surcharge, and the respective rates of the surcharge, are specified by the Sewage Services (Trade Effluent Surcharge) Regulation. The Sewage Charge and Trade Effluent Surcharge are based on the Polluter Pays Principle whereby the more one pollutes, the more one pays for its treatment.
(a)
(b)
(c)
The following measures will help reduce sewage charges - (i) install on- site treatment facilities to reduce the strength of effluent: a less polluted discharge as measured by its COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) would reduce sewage charges; (ii) reduce the volume of discharge by good housekeeping methods to conserve water; and (iii) proper installation and maintenance of grease traps.
The Government has publicised the measures mentioned in (a) above via a booklet on the proper design, installation and maintenance of grease traps (published and distributed by the Environmental Protection Department in 1993, shortly to be reprinted), the provision of materials and briefings by the Drainage Services Department to all their customers to explore measures to take to reduce the pollution level of restaurant and hotel effluent, and through Municipal Council health inspectors when they visit restaurants and hotels.
Apart from disseminating the information described above, assistance are provided by the Trading Fund Branch of the Drainage Services Department on information regarding in-house measures for waste water treatment; by the Environmental Protection Department's Local Control Offices on advice on sewage treatment measures; and by the Water Supplies Department on water conservation measures. In addition, the Planning, Environment and Lands Branch has set up a liaison group with representatives of restaurateurs to discuss their concerns.
End/Wednesday, June 14, 1995
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