Effective treatment: Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao and visitors inspect Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works.

Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao and District Council chairmen inspected Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works today and learned of the achievements of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 1.

The party noted Stage 1 is now treating 75% of the sewage generated from both sides of Victoria Harbour, and Dr Liao solicited councillors' views on the way forward for Stage 2.

Sewage from all of Kowloon, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, Tseung Kwan O and part of Hong Kong Island, including Chai Wan and Shau Kei Wan, now receives chemical treatment before disposal.

More facilities to come

To further improve water quality and the environment, the Government has developed a preferred option for Stage 2. It is a two-phase, $20-billion programme providing additional facilities to convey all sewage from the harbour to the Stonecutters plant for treatment.

Stonecutters is one of the most efficient chemical treatment plants in the world, with a design capacity for treating 1.7 million cubic metres of sewage per day and an organic pollutant removal rate exceeding 70%.

It treats 1.4 million cubic metres of sewage daily, preventing 600 tonnes of sludge from entering the harbour each day. It features space-saving, double-tray sedimentation tanks and employs the latest technology and equipment.

Permanent Secretaries for Home Affairs and Environment, Transport & Works (Environment), Shelly Lee and Keith Kwok, Acting Director for Drainage Services George Lai and representatives from the Home Affairs, Drainage Services and Environmental Protection Departments also joined the tour.