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Sewage Services are provided under two major categories:
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construction of sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal facilities; and
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operation and maintenance of such facilities.
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Whilst the Government bears all the costs for capital projects, users of sewage services contribute by paying for the operation and maintenance costs under the polluter pays principle.
Sewage charges
Starting from 1 April 1995, charges for sewage services were introduced. Since then, all premises connected to the public sewerage system have been required to pay sewage charges as follows:
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Domestic Households
The only charge is the Sewage Charge (SC) at a prescribed rate of $1.20 per cubic metre of water consumed, with exemption for the first 12 cubic metres, in a four-month billing period.
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Trade, Business and Manufacture
The charges include a Trade Effluent Surcharge (TES) payable by thirty specific trades in addition to the SC:
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(i)
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the SC is at a prescribed rate of $1.20 per cubic metre of water supplied;
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the TES is equal to the volume of water supplied, multiplied by the appropriate rate specified in Schedule 1 of the Sewage Services (Trade Effluent Surcharge) Regulation. For further details, please refer to the Regulation; and
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the volume of water used in the calculation of charges is reduced for certain categories of trade, business and manufacture which discharge less water than they are supplied with. Details are given in the Sewage Services (Sewage Charge) Regulation and Sewage Services (Trade Effluent Surcharge) Regulation.
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Enquiries
Enquiries and appeals on matters relating to the charges for sewage services may be made by telephone, 2834 9432, or may be sent by mail to the Drainage Authority at G/F, Western Magistracy, 2A Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong, or by fax to 2574-5645.
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