XN000022-1982-12-15 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1982

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WHEN FULLY COMPLETED, THE TREATMENT WORKS WOULD OCCUPY 31 HECTARES OF RECLAIMED LAND AND BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE NEEDS OF THE PLANNED POPULATION OF 900 000 IN SHA TIN NEW TOWN, INCLUDING MA ON SHAN, HE SAID.

+BEING AN ENCLOSED AREA OF THE SEA, TOLO HARBOUR HAS LITTLE TIDAL MOVEMENTS AND ANY SEWAGE DISCHARGED INTO IT WOULD NOT BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE TIDES EASILY, AS HAPPENS IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF HONG KONG, BUT WOULD TEND TO BUILD UP AND EVENTUALLY DESTROY THE EXISTING MARINE LIFE, MR FORSGATE SAID.

THE NEW TREATMENT WORKS WOULD TREAT THE SEWAGE SO THAT MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF THE POLLUTANTS WERE REMOVED BEFORE THE EFFLUENT WAS DISCHARGED INTO THE HARBOUR, HE ADDED.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST STAGE COST $365 MILLION, PARTLY FINANCED BY A $60 MILLION LOAN FROM THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK.

POWER FOR THE WORKS IS PROVIDED BY FOUR GENERATORS, TWO DIESEL ENGINES AND TWO DUAL FUEL ENGINES WHICH CAN RUN EITHER ON DIESEL OR METHANE PRODUCED FROM THE SLUDGE DIGESTION PLANT, MR FORSGATE SAID.

+IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE METHANE WILL PROVIDE ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF THE ENERGY REQUIREMENT TO RUN THE PLANT, HE ADDED.

IN HIS WELCOMING SPEECH, THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR F.E. SHORT, SAID THAT PLANNING OF THE WORKS BEGAN NEARLY 10 YEARS AGO, AND ALL THE AREA ON WHICH IT NOW STANDS WAS THEN STILL PART OF TOLO HARBOUR, AND THE FIRST HOUSING ESTATE IN SHA TIN HAD NOT STARTED.

+ IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT TO SERVE THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN AND THESE TEMPORARY WORKS HAVE SERVED THE TOWN WELL FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS,+ MR SHORT SAID.

THE FIRST STAGE OF THE WORKS WOULD BE ABLE TO SERVE THE POPULATION OF SHA TIN UP TO 1985, WHEN THE SECOND STAGE WOULD BE OPERATIONAL, HE ADDED.

MR SHORT EXPLAINED THAT THE SEWAGE FROM THE NEW TOWN IS COLLECTED AND CONVEYED TO THE MAIN PUMPING STATION AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB'S RACE COURSE. IT IS THEN PUMPED IN TWIN 1.4-METRE DIAMETER PIPES TO THE WORKS.

+THE TREATMENT PROCESS INVOLVES SCREENING, DEGRITTING, PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION, AERATION AND THEN FINAL SEDIMENTATION BEFORE THE CLEAR EFFLUENT GRAVITATES INTO TOLO HARBOUR VIA TWIN 2.5-METRE DIAMETER PIPES LAID BENEATH THE SEABED, MR SHORT SAID.

THESE PROCESSES RELY ON MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PLANT AND EQUIPMENT WHICH PERFORM SEMI-AUTOMATICALLY. THERE IS ALSO SOPHISTICATED MONITORING EQUIPMENT WHICH PROVIDES UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFORMATION ON HOW THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PROCESS ARE PERFORMING.

+THIS WILL HELP ENSURE THAT THE WORKS OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AND WILL SAFEGUARD THE WATERS OF TOLO HARBOUR FROM POLLUTION, MR SHORT SAID.