XN000022-1992-06-03 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1992

DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN NEW TYPHOON SHELTER SOUND

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THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN THE NEW YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER WOULD NOT RESULT IN THE ACCUMULATION OF SEWAGE THE SHELTER AREAS.

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AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLAN AT THIS STAGE TO MODIFY THEM.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON GILBERT LEUNG KAM-HO IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

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BLAKE SAID 12 DRY WEATHER FLOW (DWF) INTERCEPTORS WOULD COMPLETED IN THE NEAR FUTURE AFTER WHICH THE QUALITY OF DISCHARGES INTO THE SHELTER WOULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED.

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OF THEM, TWO WILL BE COMPLETED IN MID NEXT YEAR AND THE OTHERS 1995. THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE DWF INTERCEPTOR SCHEME IS $28

MILLION.

THESE INTERCEPTORS WILL DIVERT THE DWF FROM THE STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM TO THE FOUL SEWERAGE SYSTEM DURING DRY WEATHER.

THE DWF IS THE MAJOR POLLUTANT CARRIER AS IT COMPRISES, MAINLY, THE FLOWS FROM ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS INTO THE STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

"THE DWF INTERCEPTORS, WHILE NOT COMPLETELY PREVENTING POLLUTANTS FROM ENTERING THE TYPHOON SHELTER, WILL REDUCE THEM TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL THAT WILL NOT CAUSE SERIOUS POLLUTION IN THE SHELTER," HE SAID.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES UNDER THE HONG KONG PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES IS THAT NO NEW SEWER OR STORMWATER DRAIN SHOULD DISCHARGE INTO ANY NEW TYPHOON SHELTER, MARINA OR BOAT PARK.

THE PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES ALLOW A DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY IN APPLICATION, HAVING REGARD TO LAND USE DEMANDS, LOCAL CONDITIONS, DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS AND RESOURCE AVAILABILITY.

THE SECRETARY SAID THE DECISION TO DEVIATE THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM FROM THIS GUIDELINE IN THE NEW TYPHOON SHELTER WAS TAKEN ONLY AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT POLLUTANTS FROM ENTERING THE STORMWATER OUTFALL AND THE LIKELY RESULTANT WATER QUALITY THERE.

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