XN000022-1985-06-26 — Page 36

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985

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RIVER WATER REGULARLY MONITORED

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THE WATER QUALITY OF THE FOUR PRINCIPAL RIVERS DISCHARGING INTO TOLO HARBOUR WAS REGULARLY MONITORED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, AND COMPREHENSIVE SURVEYS COVERING MINOR RI VERS AND STREAMS IN THE TOLO HARBOUR AND CHANNEL WATER CONTROL ZONE WERE CARRIED OUT FROM TIME TO TIME, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

SPEAKING IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ANDREW SO, MR CHAMBERS QUOTED THE MOST RECENT SURVEY, COMPLETED IN 1982, COVERING ALL THE 30 STREAMS AROUND TOLD HARBOUR.

THE WATER QUALITY AT 22 PER CENT OF THE SAMPLING POINTS WAS FOUND TO BE 'GOOD', 35 PER CENT 'MEDIUM' AND 43 PER CENT 'BAD', HE SAID.

+THIS IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF, BUT COMPARES QUITE FAVOURABLY WITH THE AVERAGE FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, WHICH SHOWED THAT ONLY

15 PER CENT OF THE SAMPLING POINTS HAD 'GOOD' OR 'EXCELLENT' WATER QUALITY AND 67 PER CENT 'BAD' OR 'VERY BAD',+ HE SAID.

MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE SITUATION HAD CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE SURVEY WAS COMPLETED.

HOWEVER, MR CHAMBERS POINTED OUT THAT REGULAR MONITORING OF THE LAM TSUEN RIVER, TAI PO RIVER, FO TAN NULLAH AND SHING MUN RI VER INDICATED THAT THEY WERE SUBJECT TO SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS, WITH HI GHER LEVELS OF POLLUTION DURING THE DRY WINTER MONTHS AND LOWER LEVELS IN SUMMER, WHEN ABUNDANT RAINFALL DILUTED AND FLUSHED AWAY THE POLLUTANT LOADS,

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HE SAID THAT SINCE 1981, THE WATER QUALITY OF THE LAM TSUEN RIVER HAD IMPROVED FROM BEING CONSISTENTLY VERY BAD' TO 'GOOD' OR 'EXCELLENT, AT LEAST IN THE WET SEASON.

+THIS IS DUE TO THE REPLACEMENT IN THE LOWER CATCHMENT AREA OF HEAVILY POLLUTING SMALL FACTORIES, UNSEWERED HOUSES AND LIVESTOCK INDUSTRIES BY PLANNED URBAN DEVELOPMENT WITH PROPER SEWERAGE,+ HE SAID.

OVER THIS PERIOD THE OTHER THREE RIVERS, ORIGINALLY CLASSIFIED 'GOOD' OR 'MEDIUM', HAD NOT IMPROVED, HE SAID.

IN THE CASE OF THE FO TAN NULLAH AND SHING MUN RIVER, MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE OF A DETERIORATING TREND, PROBABLY DUE TO CONNECTIONS OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS TO THE SURFACE WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

HE SAID