XN000022-1993-09-07 — Page 9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1993

FOR

MEANWHILE, THE 114-PAGE "MARINE WATER QUALITY IN HONG KONG 1991" REVIEWS THE STATE OF MARINE WATER AND BOTTOM SEDIMENT QUALITY OF HONG KONG'S TERRITORIAL WATERS DURING THE YEAR.

AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID: "THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CONDUCTING WATER QUALITY SURVEYS SINCE 1986 TO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR PLANNING AND ASSESSING PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES.

"ON MARINE WATER, THE MONITORING PROGRAMME HELPS IDENTIFY, PLAN AND IMPLEMENT COST-EFFECTIVE

PROTECTION MEASURES TO PROTECT THE SEA.

ENVIRONMENTAL

"LIKEWISE, FOR RIVER WATER, THE PROGRAMME GIVES AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRESENT STATE OF RIVER WATER QUALITY AND ENABLES AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VARIOUS POLLUTION ABATEMENT MEASURES," HE SAID.

THE WATER MONITORING PROGRAMMES IN 1991 COVERED A TOTAL OF 75 RIVER AND 101 MARINE SAMPLING STATIONS.

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND

AT EACH LOCATION, A WIDE RANGE OF BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS HAVE BEEN MEASURED ΤΟ PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON WATER AND SEDIMENT QUALITY.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID: "THE RIVER REPORT SHOWS THAT THE WATER QUALITY OF SOME RIVERS, WHERE LEGISLATIVE CONTROLS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, HAVE IMPROVED.

"HOWEVER, FOR THOSE RIVERS WHICH ARE STILL HEAVILY POLLUTED, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE TERRITORY, IT IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE MUCH IMPROVEMENT UNTIL EFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER LIVESTOCK WASTE DISPOSAL IS POSSIBLE AND PLANNED NEW SEWERAGE WORKS ARE COMPLETED, HE ADDED.

HE SAID THE MARINE REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THE CONTINUED AND SERIOUS WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS IN VICTORIA HARBOUR AND OTHER AREAS WHICH RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT INPUTS OF LIQUID WASTES FROM NEARBY POPULATION CENTRES.

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INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN VICTORIA HARBOUR IS EVIDENT FROM THE HIGH LEVELS OF CHEMICAL POLLUTANTS AND HEAVY METALS PRESENT IN THE SEDIMENT," HE NOTED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID: "SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE WATER QUALITY WILL ONLY COME ABOUT WITH THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SEWERAGE MASTER PLANS AND THE STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME, COUPLED WITH EFFECTIVE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL AND COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL LEGISLATION IN ALL 10 WATER CONTROL ZONES IN HONG KONG."

THE REPORTS CONTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONALS SUCH AS SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS AND TOWN PLANNERS WHOSE WORK RELATES то THE WATER ENVIRONMENT.

THEY ALSO SERVE AS A USEFUL REFERENCE FOR RESEARCHERS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AS WELL AS TIE PUBLIC WHO ARE INTERESTED IN WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS.

/THE TWO