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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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