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Planning
for a Better Environment
Prevention
and Mitigation through Environmental Impact Assessment
Better Air Qualit
Quieter Environment
Better Water Quality
Environmentally Sound Waste
Management and Facilities
Better
Water Quality
IMPROVING
THE water quality of Hong Kong is an on-going task of EPD.
Since the late 1980s we have developed sewerage plans for
all of Hong Kong, a collection, treatment and disposal scheme
for Victoria Harbour, a programme to upgrade sewage treatment
plants and specific initiatives for sensitive areas such as
beaches, among other things.
Our on-going
monitoring indicated improvements in some areas. Of the 41
gazetted beaches, 35 beaches now meet the Water Quality Objectives
(which means they are in the Good or Fair categories), only
six beaches are in the Poor category and none are in the Very
Poor category. The compliance rate for our marine Water Quality
Objectives increased from 81% in 1999 to 87% in 2000, with
an ultimate target of 100% by 2010. A new marine and river
water quality web page was set up in 2000 at the EPD's website.
General information, water quality data and the full text
of our annual reports on marine and river waters are available
at the site.
Our overall
sewage scheme for the Victoria Harbour went to an international
review panel which reported in November. The panel supported
many elements of the plan, but recommended consideration of
a higher grade of treatment and disposal in Victoria Harbour.
Studies to evaluate the recommended options further will start
in 2001.
A review
of sewerage master plans to collect all of the sewage in Hong
Kong and link it to treatment plants continued. Reviews were
on-going in 2000 of central and east Kowloon; Tuen Mun and
Tsing Yi; the outlying islands; North District and Tolo Harbour;
and Hong Kong Island. The first three are expected to be completed
in 2001. Sewage treatment plants are also being upgraded to
provide chemical treatment plus disinfection and their outfalls
are being monitored. A plan to connect all unsewered areas
to public sewers continued. 280 unsewered areas (including
villages) have been identified for provision of public sewers,
with a target of progressive completion by 2009/10. By the
end of 2000, a total of 53 unsewered areas in the territory
had been provided with main sewers for connection.
Special
efforts were made to tackle specific pollution problems. A
$70 million programme to treat the smelly sediment of the
Shing Mun River, developed by a Local Control Office, received
funding approval in 2000.
The Technical
Memorandum on Effluent Standards of the Water Pollution Control
Ordinance was reviewed and proposals were made to simplify
the requirements of discharges. Consultation started in late
2000 and we expect to finalise the proposals for legislative
amendments in 2001. A study on the cumulative impact of coastal
developments reported that developments had relatively little
impact on water quality as compared with pollution loads.
We also
worked with our Mainland partners in 2000 to improve the exchange
of information. We participated in the Second National Marine
Pollution Baseline Survey and prepared to participate in the
National Marine Environment Monitoring Network in 2001, both
of which are coordinated by the State Oceanic Administration.
We began a joint study of mapping out the strategy for management
of the water quality of Mirs Bay with Shenzhen in June. And
a special panel set up under the cross-border Joint Working
Group began looking at water quality management plans for
the Pearl River Delta.
Chart
of Improving trend in beach water quality since 1995
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