TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 6

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Regular monitoring of the Lam Tsuen River, Tai Po

River, Fo Tan Nullah and Shing Mun River indicates that

they are subject to seasonal fluctuations, with higher

levels of pollution during the dry winter months and

lower levels in summer, when abundant rainfall dilutes.

and flushes away the pollutant loads. Since 1981, the

water quality of the Lam Tsuen River has improved from

being consistently "very bad" to "good" or "excellent",at

least in the wet season. This is due to the replacement

in the lower catchment area of heavily polluting small

factories, unsewered houses and livestock industries by

planned urban development with proper sewerage. Over this

period the other three rivers, originally classified "good"

or "medium", have not improved. In the case of the Fo

Tan Nullah and Shing Mun River, there is some evidence of

a deteriorating trend, probably due to connections of

industrial effluents to the surface water drainage system.

4.

It is estimated that about 25% of the total

pollution load on Tolo Harbour comes from industry, 48%

from agriculture, and 27% from domestic sources in areas

not served by the sewerage system. Industrial sources

include textiles, food and beverages, metal products,

electroplating and others. Industry is responsible for

practically all of certain toxic materials, including

cyanide, now found contaminating Tolo Harbour and the

rivers flowing into it, which commonly reach levels which

could be toxic to freshwater life in the Shing Mun and

/Fo Tan...

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