ENG-2001 — Page 357

THE ENVIRONMENT

environmental, engineering and financial feasibility of these proposals in detail. Trials of compact technology and a study on the procurement options are also planned. On the basis of consultants' recommendations, a list of feasible options will be drawn up and the public will be consulted on these feasible options around the end of 2003 or early 2004. Details are available at the Government's home page.

Sewerage Master Plans

Hong Kong has been divided into 16 areas for which sewerage master plans have been drawn up. The plans identified works estimated at $13.2 billion to bring the sewers up to standard. These works are being carried out in a phased improvement programme. Construction work under the Chai Wan and Shau Kei Wan sewerage master plan was the first completed, in 1997. This was followed by the Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi sewerage master plan in 1998 and the Hong Kong Island South sewerage master plan in 2000. The remaining plans would be implemented by 2009.

To meet needs arising from the revised population projections and the Government's housing programme, the EPD has been studying the sewerage master plans for various areas. Reviews for Central and East Kowloon, Tsing Yi, Tuen Mun, Outlying Islands, Hong Kong Island and North district and Tolo Harbour area are under way. These reviews aim to check the adequacy of the plans and to identify additional sewerage infrastructure to meet future housing needs.

Sewer connections to individual properties are still in progress. Improvements in several parts of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories are well under way. Under the Water Pollution Control (Sewerage) Regulation, the EPD may require house owners to connect their wastewater pipes to new public sewers. In 2001, wastewater from 5 000 people was directed to public sewers so as to avoid water pollution. Since the regulation came into force at the end of 1995, wastewater from 50 200 people has been connected to public sewers.

Sewage Charges

All water users who discharge their sewage to public sewers pay a basic sewage charge. In addition, 30 trades and industries whose effluent strength exceeds that of domestic sewage also pay a trade effluent surcharge to reflect the additional cost for treating their stronger effluent. These charges aim at recovering partially the operation and maintenance costs of sewage collection, treatment, and disposal facilities and the Government continues to provide funds for capital costs for these facilities from its Capital Works Reserve Fund. Household sewage charge is a modest $1.20 per cubic metre of water consumed with an exemption for the first 12 cubic metres consumed in a four-month billing period. Action is being taken to simplify. and streamline the methods and procedures for reassessment of the level of the trade effluent surcharge.

Bathing Beaches

Bathing beaches are an important recreational resource. To protect the health of swimmers, the Government has adopted strict standards for water quality control at bathing beaches. These standards relate to pollution measured as E. coli (the bacteria that can indicate the presence of sewage) and were devised after a thorough study of the health risk facing local bathers. The following table shows how beaches were

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