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The Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, today (January 22) visited Sham Tseng in Tsuen Wan District to get first hand information on the sewer conditions and sewerage improvement work planned for the area.

During the visit, she was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment), Mr Keith Kwok, and officials of the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department. Walking through the areas around the Sham Tseng Nullah, Dr Liao was briefed on the proposed village sewerage scheme and on how it would help mitigate water pollution at the Nullah.

The party also passed by some roast geese restaurants in Sham Tseng and saw for themselves how wastewater from all roast geese restaurants in the area is now diverted to public sewer with no wastewater being discharged directly to the open nullah.

Dr Liao was told that the sewer connection works for all major residential and commercial developments in the area are close to full completion, making significant improvement to the lower section of the Sham Tseng Nullah.

She then moved on to inspect the Sham Tseng Lower Resite Village and Sham Tseng Upper Resite Village to get an update on the sewer connections in the area. Since December 2004, all wastewater from both Resite Villages, which previously went to an interim package treatment plant, has been diverted to the public sewer for further treatment at the Sham Tseng Sewage Treatment Works.

To abate water pollution at the Sham Tseng Nullah, the Government is planning to build a sewer network to collect the sewage generated from the nearby village houses. About 1.5 km of sewers have already been completed for the Sham Tseng Resite Villages and existing restaurants in the Sham Tseng area. Another 2.5 km of sewers are to be laid in the next few years to serve the village houses on both sides of the Nullah. The works are targeted to start in 2006 for completion in about three years' time.

This is the third district visit made by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Liao, in recent months. Earlier on she had visited Sha Tin District to see the Ma On Shan Rail works and Tai Po District to see sewerage improvement works.

Ends/Saturday, January 22, 2005

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