XN000022-1995-10-25 — Page 17

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Discharge of untreated industrial effluent

The following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan Wai-yip and a written reply by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Since the declaration of the waters off Tsuen Wan West as a Water Control Zone (WCZ) on 1 June 1993, effluent discharges in this area have been subject to the control of the Water Pollution Control Ordinance. However, over the past year or so, factories in Tsuen Wan district, particularly those engaged in bleaching and dyeing, have continued to discharge vast quantities of untreated effluent into the waters every day, thus severely affecting the water quality in this WCZ. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) why it still allows the discharge of untreated industrial effluent into this

WCZ; and

(b) when it will be able to completely stop the bleaching and dyeing factories

in the district from discharging untreated effluent into this WCZ? Reply:

Mr President.

(a) Perhaps I should first clear up the assertion in the question that the Government continues to "allow" the discharge of untreated industrial effluent into this Water Control Zone. We do not. The Western Buffer Water Control Zone which comprises, in part, the Tsuen Wan district, was declared on I June 1993. All existing effluent dischargers were required to apply for a licence under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO) before 1 December 1993. Since the declaration of the WCZ, the Environmental Protection Department has issued 681 WPCO licences, including 183 licences to industrial dischargers. The licences stipulate conditions with which dischargers must comply. Continued uncontrolled discharge of sewage or failure to comply with the licensing conditions are punishable offences under the WPCO. Staff of the Environmental Protection Department regularly monitor the higher priority industrial and commercial dischargers within the WCZ. Since the declaration of the WCZ the department has served 350 written warnings and prosecuted 48 cases for violation of the WPCO requirements.