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Since its establishment in 1989, DSD has been charged with the task of wastewater treatment and stormwater drainage, protecting Hong Kong citizens against flooding and providing them with proper sewage services.
2014 marked DSD’s 25th anniversary of its official establishment whereas Hong Kong’s drainage infrastructure has undergone a century of development. This section reviews the brief history of drainage development in Hong Kong.
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1850s, In the latter half of the 19th century, Hong Kong adopted a ‘combined drainage and sewerage system’, using stormwater to wash away sewage into water bodies. With a population of less than 100,000 at that time, the domestic sewage did not cause substantial impact to the ecology of rivers and coast.
1900s, The urban population grew at the turn of the century. In order to tackle hygienic issues arising from the combined system, the Government began to build the ‘separate drainage and sewerage systems’ in early 20th century, splitting the original combined system into two independent ones.
1950s-1960s, As time went by, the drainage system could not catch up with decades of societal development. As industry development took off in the city, the amount of sewage increased rapidly, which was often directly discharged into rivers and the sea without proper treatment. In addition, as several new towns were developed, much of the soil ground surface was covered by concrete without upgrading the relevant drainage facilities. As a result, surface runoff increased dramatically, aggravating the flooding problems. In 1956, the first sewage screening plant was commissioned in Anchor Street, Kowloon, marking a major milestone in the city’s sewage service development.
1970s-1980s, To formulate long-term and comprehensive plans for drainage development of Hong Kong, the Government went through extensive research, and subsequently decided to set up an independent department dedicated to reviewing, planning and building the city’s drainage systems. Following the recommendation of the White Paper “Pollution in Hong Kong - A Time to Act”, the Government established DSD in September 1989.
After a century of development, Hong Kong’s separate drainage and sewerage systems are now over 4,500 kilometres in length, providing quality services to the citizens. To brace for future challenges and enhance service standards, DSD continued to research and introduce state-of-the-art solutions regarding stormwater drainage and sewage treatment to get well prepared for future challenges.
In 2014-15, DSD continued to implement various flood prevention projects, including stormwater storage scheme, drainage tunnels and village flood protection scheme to upgrade the flood protection levels and mitigate flooding risks in the relevant areas. In addition to routine operation and maintenance, we have established the “Emergency and Storm Damage Organisation” (ESDO) to handle emergencies and flooding problems all year round.
In addition to ensuring proper operation of our facilities, DSD carried out reviews on the Drainage Master Plan (DMP) of various districts in stages with a view to formulating the corresponding strategies for Hong Kong’s future development. Since its establishment, DSD completed eight Drainage Master Plans (DMPs) and three drainage studies, covering flood-prone areas of the territory.
The review of DMPs for Yuen Long district and North New Territories, as well as the drainage study for Happy Valley, were completed in 2011. The review of DMPs for West Kowloon, East Kowloon, Tai Po, Sha Tin and Sai Kung districts are underway and are expected to be completed in 2015-16. Review studies for Northern Hong Kong Island commenced in 2014 while the remaining review studies are being planned.
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Internal view of Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank (Phase 1)
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Demonstration of movable crest weirs’ operation
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Bird’s-eye view of Shenzhen River Regulation Project Stage IV
Sewage collection, treatment and disposal is another core service of DSD. The majority of pollutants, toxic substances and bacteria are removed from sewage through the various sewage treatment processes and advanced technologies. We are committed to enhancing efficiency and quality of our sewage service in order to safeguard the quality of Hong Kong waters.
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Location map of STWs in March 2015
DSD runs various laboratories with high quality and professional testing services, and ensure that our sewage treatment processes comply with statutory requirements. In 2014-15, we initiated the application for accreditation for four testing items on trace metal. By 2015-16, the number of accredited tests is expected to be increased to 30 types. We conduct over 14 different types of tests on a regular basis, with over 257,000 analyses completed during the year. Test results regarding the effluent quality of our major STWs are available on our website.
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Internal lining works of effluent tunnel
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Bird’s-eye view of Pillar Point STW
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Upgarding of North District and Tolo Harbour Sewerage, Village Sewerage Works on Lamma Island, Relocation of Sha Tin STW to Cavern, Expansion of Shek Wu Hui STW, Upgrading of Mui Wo STW, Expansion of Village Sewerage
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Home | Director's Statement | About this Report | The Highlights of 25th Anniversary | Governance Approach | Our Core Responsibilities | Managing the Environment | Stakeholder Engagement Activities | Joining Hands with Working Partners | Care for Our Staff |
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