TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 5

Question No. 5

REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE

TO A QUESTION BY HON. ANDREW SO, OBE, JP,

IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, 26 JUNE 1985

Question:

Sir,

Could Government make a statement on the water quality of rivers and streams discharging into the Tolo Harbour?

The water quality of the four principal rivers

discharging into Tolo Harbour is regularly monitored

by the Environmental Protection Agency, and comprehensive

surveys covering minor rivers and streams in the Tolo

Harbour and

Channel Water Control Zone are carried out

from time to time.

2.

The most recent survey, completed in 1982, covered

all the thirty streams around Tolo Harbour. The water

quality at 22% of the sampling points was found to be "good",

35% "medium" and 43% "bad". This is nothing to be proud

of, but compares quite favourably with the average for the

New Territories, which showed that 15% of the sampling

points had "good" or "excellent" water quality and 67%

"bad" or "very bad ".

There is no evidence that the

situation has changed significantly since the survey was

completed.

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