XN000022-1979-03-24 — Page 4

SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1979

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MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLAN

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS EMBARKED ON A MULTI-MILLION- DOLLAR PLAN TO BUILD 17 SEWAGE TREATMENT AND SCREENING PLANTS WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO COPE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE IN POPULATION.

IN TOTAL, 35 PLANTS ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PLANNING OR CONSTRUCTION.

DISCLOSING THIS TODAY (SATURDAY), THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE PWE'S DRAINAGE WORKS DIVISION, MR. WONG WAN-MING; SAID': +OF THE 17, FIVE ARE NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION.+

THEY ARE THE AP LEI CHAU SCREENING PLANT AND DEEP WATER BAY-REPULSE BAY TREATMENT PLANT ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE SHA TIN SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT STAGE 1, THE TAI PO SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS STAGE 1 AND THE SHEK WU HUI-FANLING SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

ON COMPLETION AT THE END OF 1981, MR. WONG SAID, THEY WOULD DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF EXISTING PLANTS,

OF THE 30 PLANTS NOW BEING PLANNED, HE ADDED, 20 WOULD BE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, SEVEN ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND THREE IN KOWLOON.

MR. WONG SAID +THE GOVERNMENT HAS LONG BEEN AWARE OF THE NEED FOR PROPER TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE.

+IN VIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE IN THE NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, SEWAGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES HAVE TO BE PROVIDED TO THESE AREAS.

+HOWEVER, THE PHASING OF SUCH PLANTS HAS TO BE TIED IN WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

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+ IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO AREAS WHERE EXISTING TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES ARE INADEQUATE OR WILL BE RENDERED INADEQUATE BECAUSE OF ANTICIPATED POPULATION INCREASE OR OTHER REASONS,+ HE SAID.

MR. WONG RECALLED THAT IN THE OLD DAYS, BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SEWAGE COLLECTION SYSTEM, NIGHTSOIL COLLECTION SERVICE WAS EXTENSIVELY PROVIDED BY THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

IN PRE-WAR DAYS, SEWER SYSTEMS FOR THE CARRIAGE OF FOUL WATER WERE GRADUALLY INTRODUCED IN URBAN AREAS AND FLUSHED TOILETS BECAME STANDARD PROVISIONS IN NEW BUILDINGS.

AT THAT TIME, SEWAGE WAS DISCHARGED DIRECTLY INTO THE SEA THROUGH OPENINGS IN SEAWALLS, CREATING PATCHES OF UNSIGHTLY SPOTS ALONG THE HAR BOUR.