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Tolo Harbour Effluent Export Scheme
Following is a question by the Hon Emily Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Works, Mr Kwong Hon-sang, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
The Government informed the Advisory Council on the Environment on 28 October last year that the two pumps at the Shatin and Taipo sewage treatment plants, which were designed to transport industrial and farm waste from Tolo Harbour to Victoria Harbour, have failed to function properly and this has resulted in the two sewage treatment plants functioning at below half of its capacity. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:
(a)
the reasons for the two pumps failing to function properly;
(b)
the magnitude of the problem arising from such failure and its effects on the residents in the neighbourhood of the two sewage treatment plants;
(c)
the name of the contractor who was responsible for building the two sewage treatment plants; and
(d)
the remedial actions which have been taken by the authority concerned, and the party which will pay for the cost of the repair works?
Answer:
Mr President,
The two sewage treatment plants in Shatin and Taipo were built and commissioned in stages in the early 80's. They treat sewage including domestic, industrial and farm waste collected from their respective districts. The treated effluent used to be discharged into the Tolo Harbour before the Tolo Harbour Effluent Export Scheme (THEES) was introduced and implemented.
Under the THEES commissioned in 1996, fully treated effluent from the two sewage treatment plants are transported to a new pumping station at Shatin, and are exported to Victoria Harbour for discharge through a series of sewer pipes and tunnel.