ENG-2001 — Page 358

THE ENVIRONMENT

classified in 2000 and 2001. Beaches in the 'good' and 'fair' categories meet the Government's water quality objective for bathing.

Minor

Beach

Bathing season

health

water

geometric means of

Number of beaches

quality

E. coli count per

risk cases

ranking

100 ml of beach water

per 1 000

swimmers

2000

2001

Good

up to 24

Undetectable

21

21

Fair

25 to 180

10 or less

14

13

Poor

181 to 610

11 to 15

6

5

Very Poor

More than 610

More than 15

0

2

294

Since 1998, beach water quality gradings for beaches have been made available weekly during the bathing season through the mass media and the EPD's web site.

Livestock Waste Pollution

Indiscriminate disposal of waste from the livestock industry was formerly one of the main causes of pollution in streams and rivers in the New Territories. Before the livestock waste control scheme began in 1987, a pollution load from livestock waste equivalent to raw sewage from more than 1.6 million people ended up in Hong Kong's rivers and eventually the sea. Since 1988, the Waste Disposal Ordinance has banned livestock-keeping in new towns and environmentally sensitive areas. Where they are allowed, livestock farms must have proper waste treatment systems.

Under the control scheme, livestock farmers who choose to continue in business could apply for a grant and a loan to help pay for pollution-control facilities. Since the start of the scheme in 1987, about $63 million has been paid out in capital grants. Farmers who chose to cease business could apply for an allowance, and about $883 million has been paid. Livestock waste pollution has been reduced by 97 per cent. since the inception of the control scheme.

To help farmers dispose of their livestock waste properly, a door-to-door livestock waste collection service began in 1996. A monthly average of about 5 300 tonnes of livestock waste was collected in 2001.

Waste Management

Waste Reduction

In November 1998, the Government launched a 10-year Waste Reduction Framework Plan. This was a response to the rapid growth in the amount of waste