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Beach
Water Quality Report 2002
Chapter Six
Beaches
in the Tuen Mun District
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| 6.1 |
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Water
quality of Butterfly
Beach was relatively
more stable in 2002 |
Since the replacement of
the old submarine outfall
of the Pillar Point Sewage
Screening Plant (SSP) in
early 1999, the water quality
of all the six gazetted
beaches in the Tuen Mun
District had improved to
'Fair'. In 2002, the water
quality of all the gazetted
beaches in the district
was maintained at the 'Fair'
rank and continued to meet
the WQO for bathing water
(Figure 6.1). This was related
to the completion of improvement
works in the town area as
recommended by the Tuen
Mun Sewerage Master Plan
(Figure 6.2), and diversion
of wastewater discharges
from all the beach facilities
in the district to public
sewers. |
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| 6.2 |
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Kadoorie
Beach had more fluctuated
water quality in 2002
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The water quality of
four out of the five opened
beaches in the district
viz. Golden, Cafeteria
Old, Cafeteria New and
Butterfly was relatively
more stable as reflected
in their weekly grading
during the bathing season
(Figure 6.3). Comparatively,
Kadoorie was more susceptible
to the effect of heavy
rain. The fluctuation
of water quality was likely
related to pollutants
flushed down from the
Tuen Mun River and the
Tuen Mun Typhoon Shelter
during heavy rain.
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| 6.3 |
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| Tuen
Mun Typhoon Shelter is a
potential pollution source
for beaches of Tuen Mun |
One of the major pollution
sources of the Tuen Mun River
is the sewage from the unsewered
villages at the upper reach.
All these village houses use
septic tank and soakaway pit
systems for sewage treatment
and disposal. In the years ahead,
the Tuen Mun sewerage system
will eventually be extended
to these unsewered areas so
that sewage from all village
houses would be collected for
treatment. When the project
is implemented, the water quality
of the Tuen Mun River and that,
of the beaches in the vicinity
is expected to improve further.
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| 6.4 |
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| The
upper reach of Tuen Mun
River is not yet sewered
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The discharges of screened sewage
from the San Wai SSP and Pillar
Point SSP via the Northwest New
Territories (NWNT) and the Pillar
Point submarine outfalls respectively
into the Urmston Road also contributed
to some extent to the pollution
of marine water off the Tuen Mun
District. A project has been planned
to expand the sewage treatment
capacity and upgrade the treatment
level of the existing Pillar Point
SSP by the addition of chemically
enhanced primary treatment with
disinfection facilities in order
to cater for the projected population
and planned developments in the
Tuen Mun area. Another project
to upgrade the San Wai SSP is
also being planned. Upon completion
of these projects, the marine
water quality off the Tuen Mun
District will significantly improve. |
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| 6.5 |
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Castle
Peak Beach was ranked 'Fair'
for the fourth year |
The closed beach, Castle Peak,
has been ranked 'Fair' for four
consecutive years. Since the replacement
of the Pillar Point submarine
outfall in early 1999, the water
quality of the beach has continued
to meet the WQO for bathing water.
To further improve the condition
of the beach and ensure safety
for swimmers, LCSD has started
in late 2001 a project to remove
about 300-500mm thick layer of
mud in the seabed of the beach.
Subject to completion of the project,
opening of the beach to the public
again for water activities will
be considered. |
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