| What
is the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme? |
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| What
is the current position regarding the harbour's water quality? |
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| How
much did HATS Stage 1 cost? |
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| What
are the main causes of pollution in the Harbour? |
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| What
does the average Hong Kong person think about the Harbour? |
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| How
much of Hong Kong's sewage is treated, and to what levels? |
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| What
proportion of Hong Kong's sewage is treated to "international standards"? |
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| How
will the Pearl River flow impact on the water quality of Hong Kong
given that we are situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Estuary? |
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| What
is BAF and why has it not been used previously in Hong Kong? |
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| What
types of fish can we expect to see returning to the Harbour when HATS
is completed? |
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| The Harbour
Area Treatment Scheme is an overall sewage collection, treatment and
disposal strategy for areas on both sides of Victoria Harbour. |
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| While Stage
1 of HATS (commissioned in December 2001) has brought improvement
in water quality, we will not be able to meet all our water quality
objectives as the remaining 25% of the sewage flow (collected in the
areas from North Point through Central and round to Aberdeen) entering
the Harbour has only received preliminary treatment. Deterioration
will occur if we do not proceed with the remaining stages of HATS
as the population grows and development on both sides of the harbour
continues. |
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The cost of
the Stage1 of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme is around HK$8.2 billion
(USD1 billion). Sewage planning and disposal for a highly concentrated
and growing society, such as Hong Kong has, is a serious issue for
us all.
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The main cause
of Harbour pollution is the continued slow rise in virtually untreated
sewage from our growing population which discharges into the harbour.
With a population around the Harbour area that has now grown to 5
million, it is essential we ensure that our sewage treatment system
is effective and provides for our future needs.
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A survey has
shown that the vast majority of people - some 91 per cent - believe
Victoria Harbour is important to Hong Kong. They also showed an empathy
with the Government's anti-pollution efforts and recognised the need
to keep the Harbour water clean.
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The proportions
of collected sewage in Hong Kong treated to different levels are shown in the following table:
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It is difficult
to define "international standards" in regard to sewage treatment.
In Hong Kong, a large proportion of sewage of about 53% is treated by chemically enhanced primary
treatment (CEPT), around 17% is treated to secondary level and less than 0.01% is treated to tertiary level.
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Water pollution
in Victoria Harbour is mainly attributable to local pollution sources,
with the contribution from the Pearl River being relatively minor.
To improve the local water quality, it is important that we provide
sufficient treatment for our local sewage before discharging it into
the sea.
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Biological Aerated
Filters (BAF) is an advanced sewage treatment process characterised
by flexible operations and compact size. Before, and during, the design
of HATS Stage 1, this relatively new technology was still not well
proven and therefore was not incorporated. During the review of the
whole of HATS in the year 2000, however, a panel of international
experts, after careful evaluation and investigation of the technology,
recommended BAF as the preferred technology for further stages of
HATS.
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More fish species
which are sensitive to low dissolved oxygen (e.g. red sea bream and
grouper) might be found in the Victoria Harbour if there is a substantial
increase in dissolved oxygen after the completion of HATS.
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| The government
is currently providing a huge subsidy to finance the operation of
sewage services. In the 2007 - 2008 Financial Year, the recurrent
cost for providing sewage services in Hong Kong (excluding depreciation) was around $1.2 billion but the Government recovered only about
$700 million through sewage charges and Trade Effluent Surcharge(TES).
The sewage charge started to increase gradually and modestly by an annual 9.3% for ten consecutive years on 1 April 2008. Subsequent to the completion of the trade effluent survey, the TES rates have been revised with effect from 1 August 2008. Three trades with effluent quality lower than domestic level are removed from the TES charging scheme, while thirteen trades have their rates reduced and fourteen trades have their rates increased. |
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