XN000022-1989-05-17 — Page 30

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 1989

28

SEWAGE BLAMED FOR BEACH POLLUTION

**

THE BEACHES WHICH HAVE BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING ARE POLLUTED BY FAECAL AND LIVESTOCK WASTES AND TO IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY IT IS NECESSARY TO TACKLE

SEWAGE POLLUTION PROBLEM AT

SOURCE.

THE

THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LAM WAI-KEUNG.

MR BARNES NOTED THAT SIX OUT OF 42 GAZETTED BEACHES HAD BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING THE 1988 BATHING SEASON.

THEY WERE ANGLERS', SILVERMINE BAY, OLD CAFETERIA, CASTLE PEAK, TING KAU AND ROCKY BAY.

IN THE CASE OF ANGLERS' AND SILVERMINE BAY BEACHES WHICH WERE

WATER POLLUTED MAINLY BY PIG WASTES, MR BARNES SAID THE

HAD QUALITY RECENTLY IMPROVED SINCE CONTROLS ON THE DISPOSAL OF LIVESTOCK WASTES IN THE AREAS UNDER THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE BEGAN IN JUNE LAST YEAR.

ROCKY BAY AND TING KAU BEACHES WERE POLLUTED BY EFFLUENT DOMESTIC SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS FROM SEPTIC TANKS.

FROM

IN THE LONG TERM, TACKLING THE POLLUTION PROBLEMS AT THESE BEACHES REQUIRED THE PROVISION OF PROPER SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL CYSTEM FOR THE SWIMMING AREAS, SO THAT EXISTING AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS COULD CONNECT THEIR SEWAGE FACILITIES TO THE PUBLIC SEWERS.

MR BARNES SAID A SEWERAGE MASTER PLAN FOR THE SOUTH OF KONG ISLAND WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PROPOSALS FOR THE SHEK O/ROCKY AREA WAS BEING DEVELOPED UNDER A CONSULTANCY, SCHEDULED COMPLETION LATER THIS YEAR.

A SIMILAR STUDY FOR THE TSUEN WAN AREA WAS COMMISSIONED THIS YEAR AND THE COMPLETION OF WORKS DERIVING FROM THIS STUDY GENERALLY IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY IN THE TSUEN WAN AREA AND THE CASTLE PEAK ROAD BEACHES.

IN ADDITION, A $5 MILLION SEWAGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL FOR TING KAU, INVOLVING INTERCEPTION AND DISINFECTION OF THE FROM THE HINTERLAND OF TING KAU BEACH, WAS PLANNED AS AN REMEDIAL MEASURE. HE ADDED.

HONG

BAY

FOR

EARLY

WOULD

ALONG

SCHEME

SEWAGE URGENT

t

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