Drainage Services Department - Sustainability Report 2012-2013

Our Core Responsibilities / Overview of Sewage Services Charges

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Sub-sections in Our Core Responsibilities

[Overview of Flood Prevention] [Overview of Sewage Treatment and Sewerage System] [Overview of Sewage Services Charges]

Overview of Sewage Services Charges

Sewage Services Charges

The "Sewage Services Charging Scheme" was introduced on 1 April 1995 according to the "Polluter Pays" Principle. All premises connected to public sewers are required to pay the sewage services charges, which have two components: the Sewage Charge (SC) and the Trade Effluent Surcharge (TES). At present, the number of trades that are required to pay TES has been reduced from the original 30 to 27.

Customer Enquiries

In 2012-13, we received 6,749 telephone and written enquiries. More than 98 per cent of our replies to the written enquiries were issued within one month, achieving our Department's performance pledge.

Written Enquiries Received in 2012-13 by Types

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42.3% Chemical Oxygen Demand(COD) & Discharge Factor reassessment, 24.2% Verification of sewer connection status, 21.7% Business reclassification, 11.6% Enquiries related to newly identified TES accounts, 0.2% Others

Billing and Consumption Statistics

There are about 2.82 million water accounts, of which about 2.61 million are liable to pay sewage charge. In the non-domestic category, about 22,000 accounts are liable to pay TES as they are operating one of the 27 trades designated in the TES Regulation. The distribution of TES accounts by trade types is shown in the following chart.

Distribution of TES Accounts by Trade Types in 2012-13

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78.8% Restaurants, 15.5% Food manufacturing, 3.7% Textiles and wearing apparel except footwear, 1.9% Others, 0.1% Bleaching & dyeing

Reassessment of TES Rate and Discharge Factor

Non-domestic consumers may apply for reassessment of the TES rate or discharge factor if they consider that their effluent strength or discharge factor is lower than the corresponding values specified in the Ordinance. The validity period for the reassessed TES rate is three years.

Distribution of COD Reassessment Applications in 2012-13 by Business Classification

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93.94% Restaurants, 3.72% Food processing, 1.4% Dairy products, 0.47% Bleaching & dyeing of textiles, 0.47% Soft drink/Breweries

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