ENG-1993 — Page 445

THE ENVIRONMENT

Bathing beaches are an important recreational resource. Due to the great effort expended on pollution control in critical areas, the water quality of most of Hong Kong's beaches has improved. However, due to the recent rapid development in Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan districts, beaches in these two districts are still sporadically polluted by domestic sewage discharged from the beach hinterlands where sewerage facilities will need to be improved.

To safeguard the public against swimming in polluted waters, the Environmental Protection Department has adopted strict E. coli (a bacterium) standards for water quality control in bathing beaches. This standard relates to the degree of faecal pollution and was devised by the department after a very thorough study of the health risks that local bathers face. The following table shows how beaches were classified in 1992 and 1993.

Bathing season geometric

Annual beach rank

mean of E. coli count per

100 mL of beach water

Good

Up to 24

Fair

25 to 180

Poor

Very Poor

181 to 610

More than 610

Health risk cases per

1 000 swimmers

Undetectable

Under 10

Number of beaches

1992

1993

22

22

22

19

10 to 15

Over 15

9

12

3

3

Unfortunately, complaints occur even at beaches that are free from sewage pollution, usually because of floating refuse and occasionally because of slime caused by algae.

Protecting the Environment

The Administrative Framework

The Environmental Protection Department is the government's main store of expertise in pollution control and environmental management. Its tasks include: providing advice on policy; implementing programmes to meet policy goals for all aspects of pollution; undertaking environmental planning and assessment; devising, enforcing and reviewing the effectiveness of all environmental legislation, and recommending new or amended legislation; and planning and developing facilities for liquid and solid waste disposal.

Other departments also play a major role in protecting Hong Kong's environment. The Planning Department takes care of the environment in government urban and rural planning at strategic and local level. The Drainage Services Department designs, builds, operates and maintains sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal facilities throughout the territory. The Territory Development Department carries out sewerage and sewage disposal works in new towns. The Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department provide refuse collection services and maintain environmental hygiene. The Civil Engineering Department oversees and operates landfills for the disposal of waste. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for wildlife and countryside conservation; manages agricultural weirs; and operates and maintains departmental farm waste treatment facilities. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department operates refuse incinerators and promotes energy efficiency. The Marine Department clears floating refuse and oil from harbour waters, and enforces the law on oil spills.

Planning Against Pollution

Environmental planning aims to achieve land uses that are environmentally acceptable and compatible among neighbours. A pro-active approach is adopted to anticipate and

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