Water Resources Management

Always committed to the rationale of sustainable water resources management, the DSD encourages all sectors in the community to make concerted efforts to optimise the use of water resources. We strive to promote the reuse of water resources in our facilities so as to optimise the use of the precious water resources and enhance water usage efficiency.

Water Harvesting System

We actively incorporate into the design of our new facilities sustainable water resources management elements such as rainwater harvesting systems, underground stormwater storage systems, rain gardens and porous pavements. The relevant projects completed to date include Kowloon City No. 1 and No. 2 SPSs, Lai Chi Kok Drainage Tunnel and Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme.

A water harvesting system under HVUSSS is used to collect rainwater, groundwater and sportsground irrigation water. The water collected through the system can be brought up to standard of reused water for non-potable use after simple disinfection treatment. Harvested water can not only be reused for irrigation and toilet flushing, but can also be supplied to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for street cleaning in Happy Valley and Wan Chai.

Irrigating football pitches with harvested water

Water Reclamation and Reuse

In support of the Government's water reclamation initiative under the Total Water Management Strategy, the DSD continues to produce and use reclaimed water within its facilities and improve the operational reliability of its water reclamation facilities. After treatment and disinfection, effluent can be recycled as reclaimed water. Using reclaimed water can not only minimise environmental pollution and avoid overloading the ecosystem, but it can also alleviate the public demand for freshwater; in other words, it can help promote sustainable development and environmental protection in Hong Kong.

During the year, we produced over 1,500 cubic metres of reclaimed and reuse water per day on average for non-potable use. Water reclamation and reuse water facilities are provided in Ngong Ping STW, Sha Tin STW, Tai Po STW and Pillar Point STW.

Ngong Ping STW

Ngong Ping STW is Hong Kong's first tertiary sewage treatment plant equipped with a water reclamation facility. Safe and odourless, the reclaimed water produced by this plant is now supplied for toilet flushing at Ngong Ping public toilets and Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal toilets; part of the reclaimed water is used for irrigation and rearing ornamental fish in fishponds inside the plant.  

Ngong Ping Sewage Treatment Works

Sha Tin STW and Tai Po STW

The water reclamation facilities in Sha Tin STW and Tai Po STW can generate over 500 cubic metres and 140 cubic metres of reclaimed water every day respectively for plant cleaning, irrigation, toilet flushing and chemical dilution. Reuse water at Pillar Point STW is mainly used for chemical dilution.

Water reclamation facilities at Tai Po STW

Water reclamation facilities at Sha Tin STW

Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant

Furthermore, we are upgrading Shek Wu Hui STW to Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant. The Water Supplies Department plans to supply reclaimed water converted from the tertiary treated sewage effluent generated from the plant to the north-eastern part of the New Territories for non-potable uses starting with Sheung Shui and Fanling in phases.