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Press
Releases - 2000
Proposed
works to improve water quality of Shing Mun River
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) is proposing works to further
improve the water quality of the Shing Mun River by cleaning
up the sediments on the river bed, a spokesman for the EPD
said today (November 7).
Under
the proposal, the works agent, the Civil Engineering Department,
will take up the proposed improvement works that involve introducing
oxygen containing solution to the river bed such that the
organic matters in the sediments will be degraded by the microorganisms
in the river to harmless natural compounds such as carbon
dioxide and water.
The improvement
works are scheduled to start in March 2001 for completion
in two phases in 2002 and 2005.
The Government
consulted the Legislative Council's Panel on Environmental
Affairs today. Funding approval will be sought from the Legislative
Council subsequently.
Due to
rapid increase in the population in Sha Tin and indiscriminate
discharges from industrial, commercial, livestock and domestic
sources, the Shing Mun River was heavily polluted in the 1980s.
The organic
pollution load discharged into the river in those days was
around 9 000 kg Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) per day, which
was equivalent to the waste discharged from about 160 000
people.
Through
the implementation of the Water Pollution Control Ordinance,
prohibition of livestock rearing as well as gradual provision
of the sewers to the unsewered villages in the Shing Mun River
Catchment, the pollution loading has dropped by 90 per cent
to around 800 kg BOD per day recently.
"We see
an increasing trend of compliance with the water quality objectives
in the river and a decreasing trend in its bacteria contents.
"Although
the water quality has significantly improved in recent years,
the river is still adversely affected by contaminated sediments
which accumulated over the years on its river bed," the spokesman
noted.
He said
with the proposed works in place, the odour problem of the
river would be largely reduced and the dissolved oxygen level
in the water would increase.
This
will eventually lead to a healthier ecological system in the
river. The local residents as well as visitors and spectators
of various water-related activities such as rowing and boating
will benefit from the improvement works.
End/Tuesday,
November 7, 2000
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