DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed (with photos)
******************************************************************************************
Dr Chui met with the District Officer (Tsuen Wan), Mr Billy Au, the District Officer (Kwai Tsing), Mr Edric Leung, the Acting District Officers (Sham Shui Po), Miss Stella Wong and Miss Agnes Chan; and around 40 members of District Council from the three districts. They reviewed the progress in improving water quality and odour along both sides of Victoria Harbour, particularly in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing and Sham Shui Po. On-site demonstrations were given of innovative multi-dimensional monitoring technologies across sea, land, and air platforms, including an "Artificial Intelligence Environmental Air Nuisance Investigation Robot Dog" (AI Dog), "Ground Penetrating Radar", "Drone for Sampling and Monitoring", and "Unmanned Sampling Boat", etc. The attending councillors gave highly positive feedback on the environmental improvements in the relevant areas.
Dr Chui said, "The 2022 Policy Address set a target of reducing by half the pollution load from seriously polluted outfalls along Victoria Harbour, including areas such as Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po, by the end of 2024 while Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing districts also share the same water body. Through a series of source control measures and the application of innovative technologies, the reduction of pollution load significantly exceeded the target. By the end of last year, the overall pollution load at the relevant stormwater outfalls was reduced by nearly 90 per cent. Today, no noticeable odour was detected at the Tsuen Wan and Cheung Sha Wan waterfronts, indicating a remarkable improvement in the environmental conditions along the coastal areas of these three districts."
Over the past three years, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has proactively used innovative technologies in identifying and rectifying sewer misconnections to improve nearshore odour problems along Victoria Harbour. By the third quarter of this year, EPD teams had inspected over 5 000 manholes and tested more than 1 200 water samples in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, and Sham Shui Po districts, identifying 191 pollution cases equivalent to pollution load from 300 000 people. Through inter-departmental collaboration, the total pollution load from outfalls in Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po districts has been reduced by nearly 90 per cent, leading to substantial improvement in nearshore odour. Hydrogen sulfide monitoring devices installed at the Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po waterfronts indicated that the average concentrations have decreased from the previous 36 parts per billion (ppb) and 18 ppb, respectively to currently both below 5 ppb (see photos).
Dr Chui thanked the three District Councils for their affirmation of the EPD's work and their valuable opinions. He concluded, "We will continue to leverage smart technologies, work closely with District Councils, and harness community wisdom to jointly build greener, healthier and more liveable communities."
Ends/Monday, December 22, 2025
Issued at HKT 21:38
Issued at HKT 21:38
NNNN
Photo
