The EPD hotline is operated by EPD’s Customer Service Centre. In 2024, there is an increase of 18% in the total number of pollution complaints received compared that in 2023 (from 20 984 cases in 2023 to 24 695 cases in 2024). Air pollution complaints constituted 33.7% of the total number of complaints received, followed by waste pollution complaints (14.2%), water pollution complaints (14.1%), noise pollution complaints (27.0%), and miscellaneous pollution complaints (11.0%).
Most complaints reported to the EPD were received through 1823 in 2024 (48.0%). Another 28.9% were received by phone, 15.0% were received through internet or email, 4.7% were referred by other government departments, 0.7% were sent by mail, and 2.7% came through other channels.
For enquiries, the EPD received a total of 64 961 cases in 2024.
Top Six Types of Pollution Complaints in 2024
Number of Pollution Complaints from Year 1986 to 2024
Channels of Pollution Complaints in 2024
Change in Number of Pollution Complaints in 2024
| Nature | 2023 | 2024 | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | 7 352 | 8 312 | 13% | |
| Noise | -EPD cases | 5 858 | 6 663 | 14% |
| -Police cases | 27 | 8 | -70% | |
| Water | 2 980 | 3 479 | 17% | |
| Waste | 3 079 | 3 503 | 14% | |
| Miscellaneous | 1 688 | 2 730 | 62% | |
| Total | 20 984 | 24 695 | 18% |
Complaint Statistics Breakdown by District and Nature in 2024
| District | Total | % | Air | Noise | Water | Waste | Misc |
| Islands | 576 | 2.3 | 110 | 129 | 195 | 118 | 24 |
| Kwai Tsing | 982 | 4.0 | 171 | 592 | 82 | 112 | 25 |
| North | 1 015 | 4.1 | 247 | 236 | 216 | 263 | 53 |
| Sai Kung | 947 | 3.8 | 190 | 347 | 240 | 138 | 32 |
| Sha Tin | 1 046 | 4.2 | 294 | 404 | 175 | 129 | 44 |
| Tai Po | 840 | 3.4 | 218 | 214 | 239 | 145 | 24 |
| Tsuen Wan | 659 | 2.7 | 185 | 190 | 127 | 133 | 24 |
| Tuen Mun | 988 | 4.0 | 297 | 325 | 161 | 165 | 40 |
| Yuen Long | 2 326 | 9.4 | 590 | 586 | 444 | 588 | 118 |
|
Subtotal |
9 379 | 38.0 | 2 302 | 3 023 | 1 879 | 1 791 | 384 |
| Central & Western | 1 197 | 4.8 | 316 | 481 | 157 | 185 | 58 |
| Eastern | 901 | 3.6 | 241 | 369 | 125 | 141 | 25 |
| Southern | 427 | 1.7 | 116 | 170 | 67 | 61 | 13 |
| Wan Chai | 1 029 | 4.2 | 273 | 367 | 171 | 169 | 49 |
|
Subtotal |
3 554 | 14.4 | 946 | 1 387 | 520 | 556 | 145 |
| Kowloon City | 1 299 | 5.3 | 333 | 461 | 214 | 221 | 70 |
| Kwun Tong | 1 070 | 4.3 | 303 | 414 | 236 | 82 | 35 |
| Yau Tsim Mong | 1 827 | 7.4 | 454 | 618 | 308 | 389 | 58 |
| Sham Shui Po | 1 379 | 5.6 | 286 | 507 | 246 | 300 | 40 |
| Wong Tai Sin | 593 | 2.4 | 165 | 260 | 76 | 64 | 28 |
|
Subtotal |
6 168 | 25.0 | 1 541 | 2 260 | 1 080 | 1 056 | 231 |
| Vehicles | 3 511 | 14.2 | 3 511 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 2 083 | 8.4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 1 970 |
| Grand Total | 24 695 | 100.0 | 8 312 | 6 671 | 3 479 | 3 503 | 2 730 |
Remarks :
1. Others - include territory-wide issues and other mobile sources which cannot be regionalised.
2. Noise cases include police cases.
Pollution Complaints by Trade in 2024
| Air | Noise | Water | Waste | Misc | Total | |
| Commercial | ||||||
| Restaurants / food shops | 1 327 | 589 | 235 | 128 | 68 | 2 347 |
| Land Transport | 45 | 259 | 45 | 79 | 14 | 442 |
| Retail Shops | 126 | 576 | 106 | 93 | 31 | 932 |
| Garage | 58 | 47 | 272 | 56 | 5 | 438 |
| Repair Services | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| School & Institutions | 22 | 137 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 177 |
| Car Parks | 17 | 28 | 18 | 10 | 22 | 95 |
| Laundries | 25 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Recreation Services | 12 | 117 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 148 |
| Religious Organisations | 87 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 124 |
| Sanitary Services | 10 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| Hotels | 7 | 28 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 53 |
| Photo Finishing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Private Hospital / Clinic | 5 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 18 |
| Others | 385 | 899 | 447 | 58 | 231 | 2 020 |
| Industrial | ||||||
| Construction Site & Renovation | 999 | 2 356 | 459 | 400 | 114 | 4 328 |
| Livestock Farm | 79 | 1 | 4 | 72 | 1 | 157 |
| Food Manufacturing | 83 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 112 |
| Godown | 33 | 71 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 130 |
| Textile Industries | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Chemical Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fabricated Metal Products | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Other manufacturing industries | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Basic Metal | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Cement / Concrete / Batching Plants etc | 53 | 9 | 37 | 2 | 5 | 106 |
| Furniture and Fixtures | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Printing | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Rubber & Plastics | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Paper Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 126 | 107 | 41 | 22 | 6 | 302 |
| Government / Public Facilities | ||||||
| Public Hospital / Clinic | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| Refuse Collection Point | 3 | 6 | 2 | 117 | 5 | 133 |
| Landfill | 36 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 42 | 85 |
| Sewage Treatment Plant | 32 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 39 |
| Refuse Transfer Station | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 37 |
| Crematorium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Other Facilities | 27 | 89 | 26 | 69 | 1 527 | 1 738 |
| Domestic & Public place | 918 | 892 | 1 478 | 1 881 | 289 | 5 458 |
| Others | 239 | 341 | 217 | 475 | 305 | 1 577 |
| Intruder Alarm | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Vehicle emissions/Idling Engine | 3 511 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 511 |
| Total | 8 312 | 6 671 | 3 479 | 3 503 | 2 730 | 24 695 |
Remarks : Noise cases include police cases.
Complaints By Subject Categories in 2024
| Breakdown by Pollutant / Activities | |
| Air Pollution | |
| Vehicle Emissions / Idling Engine | 3 511 |
| Ship Emissions | 3 |
| Open Burning | 191 |
| Paint Spraying | 36 |
| Asbestos | 145 |
| Cement Dust | 35 |
| Dark Smoke | 74 |
| Construction Dust / Air Nuisance | 991 |
| Greasy Fumes / Cooking Odour | 1 533 |
| Malodour | 868 |
| Mysterious Gas Incident / Gas Leakage | 2 |
| Burning of Incense Paper, etc | 329 |
| Others | 594 |
| Sub-total | 8 312 |
| Noise Pollution | |
| Construction | |
| General Works | 2 352 |
| Percussive Piling | 244 |
| Neighbourhood & Public Place | 1 006 |
| Transport | |
| Road Traffic | 120 |
| Aircraft / Helicopter (flight) | 3 |
| Marine Traffic | 7 |
| Industrial & Commercial | |
| Restaurants / Food Shops | 589 |
| MTRC | 107 |
| Ferry Facilities | 3 |
| Industrial Noise within Same Building | 7 |
| Others - (Industrial, Commercial, etc) | 2 115 |
| Product Noise (NCO) | 0 |
| Intruder Alarm | 19 |
| Others | 99 |
| Sub-total | 6 671 |
| Water Pollution | |
| Discharge from Construction Sites | 459 |
| Discharge from Restaurants / Food Shops | 235 |
| Discharge from Septic Tanks | 63 |
| Illegal Pipe Connection | 226 |
| Beach Water Quality | 3 |
| Domestic / Public Place Discharge | 1 543 |
| Discharge from Industrial Activities other than Construction Activities | 107 |
| Discharge from Commercial Activities other than Restaurants or Food Shops | 801 |
| Others | 42 |
| Sub-total | 3 479 |
| Waste Pollution | |
| Flytipping | 2 348 |
| Marine Dumping | 3 |
| Pig Waste | 55 |
| Chicken Waste | 11 |
| Pigeon Waste | 0 |
| Mixed Livestock Waste | 5 |
| Chemical Waste (Lubricating Oil) | 82 |
| Chemical Waste (Asbestos) | 16 |
| Chemical Waste (Miscellaneous) | 531 |
| Clinical Waste | 13 |
| Oily Waste | 32 |
| Livestock Rearing in Prohibition Area / Restriction Area / Control Area | 51 |
| Others | 356 |
| Sub-total | 3 503 |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Light Nuisance | |
| External Lighting for Decorative, Promotional and Advertising Purposes | 259 |
| External Lighting for Functional Purposes | 216 |
| Others | 2 255 |
| Sub-total | 2 730 |
| Total: | 24 695 |
Remarks : Noise cases include police cases.
