In 2013-14, the successful commissioning of various projects and steady progress of HATS Stage 2A, have made the year a remarkable one for DSD. With the staff’s full dedication, DSD has overcome every challenge encountered and is always ready for the future challenges.
We continued to serve the public with high quality services and have received a number of awards during the year. We are most honoured to share with you the year’s highlights in this chapter.
Flood Prevention
Elimination of Two Flooding Blackspots
In the annual review of early 2014, we evaluated the effectiveness of the completed drainage improvement works and further eliminated two flooding blackspots at Shek Tsai Leng/Kwu Tung and Ko Po/Kan Tau Tsuen/Kwan Tei in North District, reducing the total number of flooding blackspots to 11.
Total number of Flooding Blackspots in the past 20 years
We continue and endeavour to tackle the remaining 11 flooding blackspots. Among these flooding blackspots, the drainage improvement works for four of them have been commissioned and their effectiveness is being monitored. The improvement works for the remaining blackspots are being carried out or under planning and design.
Emergency Preparedness
DSD colleagues always remain vigilant and diligently perform their duties. They stay well prepared to tackle any flooding emergencies. On 22 May 2013, the Black Rainstorm Warning of the second longest duration ever recorded in Hong Kong was issued and rainfall of more than 150 millimetres per hour was recorded in many places over the territory. With DSD’s territory-wide flood prevention projects completed, there was no severe regional flooding though some incidents of local flooding still occurred.
The Chief Executive Mr. LEUNG Chun-ying visited DSD’s Emergency Control Centre
Opening of Butterfly Valley Road Pet Garden
The Butterfly Valley Road Pet Garden, which was built on top of the LCKDT’s stilling basin, has been opened for the public’s enjoyment since March 2014. The area was originally reserved as the maintenance area. For the sake of better and more effective land use, DSD and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department joined hands to transform the land into Kowloon’s largest pet garden, with an area of 7,000 square metres.
Butterfly Valley Road Pet Garden
Commissioning of Drainage Improvement Works in Shuen Wan, Tai Po
To alleviate the flooding risk of the two flooding blackspots in Shuen Wan of Tai Po, we completed the drainage improvement works thereat and commissioned the new stormwater pumping station in March 2014. Together with about 1.2 kilometres long box culvert newly laid along Tung Tsz Road, the pumping station helps to timely transfer runoff from the catchment to the sea during heavy rainstorms.
Engineered Wetland in Shuen Wan, Tai Po
Sewage Treatment
Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A
HATS consists of two stages with Stage 1 commissioned in December 2001 and Stage 2A in progress. In 2013-14, we have made steady progress for Stage 2A’s following three major parts:
- upgrading works for the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (SCISTW);
- upgrading works for eight existing preliminary treatment works (PTW); and
- construction of the sewage conveyance system.
HATS Stage 2A’s 21-kilometre sewage conveyance system, with maximum depth at 160 metres below sea level, is one of the deepest sewage tunnels in the world. The tunnel section between North Point and Wan Chai East (approximately 3.2 kilometres), and that between Aberdeen and Sai Ying Pun (approximately 7.5 kilometres), both constructed by drill-and-blast method, were successfully broken through in end-2013. Whereas for the two smaller diametee tunnel sections between Ap Lei Chau and Aberdeen (approximately 1.3 kilometres in total) constructed by horizontal directional drilling, all the pipe pulling works were completed in March 2014.
Breakthrough ceremony of the tunnel between North Point and Wan Chai in November 2013
Tunnel section constructed by drill-and-blast method
Breakthrough ceremony cum visit to the tunnel between Aberdeen and Sai Ying Pun in December 2013
Commissioning of Kowloon Bay Sewage Interception Station
To reduce odour nuisance, we intercept and divert the polluted flow in Jordan Valley Box Culvert to an existing trunk sewer along Kai Fuk Road. Kowloon Bay Sewage Interception Station has been commissioned since June 2013 and is the first large scale automatic flow interception facility in Hong Kong.
Commissioning Ceremony of Interception Facilities for Jordan Valley Box Culvert on 6 December 2013
Kowloon Bay Sewage Interception Station
Awards
In 2013-14, DSD has been conferred upon a number of awards in recognition of our outstanding achievements in various aspects. The awards covered a wide variety of aspects including occupational safety & health, environmental protection, sustainability, research, complaint handling and technological innovations. Thanks to the great effort of our colleagues!
- Hong Kong Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Awards 2013
Gold Award in the “Best Public Service Application (Small Scale Project)” Category - 2012 Environmental Paper Award
Merit Award - Hong Kong People Engineering Wonders in the 21st Century
HATS Stage 2A and Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel were selected 10 Engineering Wonders - HKIE Engineering Innovation Award 2012/2013 –
Champion (Technology Category) and Merit Awards (Construction Category) - Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence - Green Innovation Awards 2012
Merit Award - Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2013
Silver Prize under “Team Awards (General Public Service)”
Meritorious Award under “Team Awards (General Public Service)” - Hong Kong Institute of Planners Awards 2013
Merit Award - Ombudmans’s Awards 2013
Grand Award for Public Organisations and Awards for Officers of Public Organisations - Indoor Air Quality Certificate Award Scheme
14 workplaces were awarded “Good Class” IAQ Certificates - 2012/13 Vision Awards
Gold Award (Sustainability Report)
Top 50 Annual Reports Worldwide - APEX 2014 Awards for Publication Excellence
Award of Excellence (Green Annual Reports) - HKIE Innovation Awards for Young Members
Certificate of Merit - Hong Kong Flower Show 2014
Grand Award for Outstanding Exhibit – Displays Section (Local)
