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Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan Wai-yip and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at the Legislative Council meeting today (July 14):
Question:
Recently, I have received complaints from quite a number of villagers, who have pointed out that for years the Government have not provided public sewers in some villages, leaving the sewage from such villages not properly treated. Moreover, in some of the villages where public sewers are provided, since sewers are not directly connected to the sewerage facilities of the villagers' residences, the villagers had to spend a substantial amount of money to connect such facilities to public sewers, which had significantly increased the burden on their livelihood. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of villages which at present are still not provided with public sewers, and the names and locations of such villages; whether the authorities have planned to provide public sewers to such villages; if they have, of the details of the plans and when the works will commence; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) in those villages which are provided with public sewers, the percentage of the number of households for which the sewerage facilities of their residences are not connected to public sewers in the total number of households in such villages; whether the Government has planned to assist the households in connecting such facilities to public sewers; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it will connect the sewerage facilities in the villagers' residences to public sewers directly when providing new public sewers and implementing sewerage projects in villages; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
(a) Village sewerage is part of the Government's sewerage provision programme to improve the village environs and sanitary conditions of unsewered areas and reduce pollution to our rivers and coastal waters. There are about 980 villages in the rural New Territories. As at end April 2010, we have provided public sewerage to about 130 villages and village sewerage works for about 55 villages are in progress. In addition, about 275 villages covered by the village sewerage programme are at the planning stage. The names of these villages by areas are at Annex 1. Construction of the village sewerage will commence after the pre-construction works, such as design and consultation, are completed. We shall progressively roll out the village sewerage programme to cover more unsewered villages and areas.
(b) The rate of sewer connection of village houses in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Sai Kung, Tsuen Wan, Islands, North and Yuen Long districts upon provision of the public village sewerage, as at end April 2010, is shown at Annex 2. The sewer connection rates of village houses vary and depend on a number of technical factors. Based on past experience, the main reasons for those unable to be connected include limited space, inadequate hydraulic gradient, costly pumping requirement, obstruction from underground utilities, land resumption issues and encroachment on other's private land etc. Such unconnected village houses may continue to use their private treatment facilities including septic tanks.
(c) It has been our aim to extend the sewerage network to all village houses within a sewered area and provide the branch sewer up to the lot boundary of a village house where feasible to facilitate as far as possible the house owner to make sewer connection to the public sewerage. According to the current legislation and policy, all sewer connection works within a lot boundary and associated maintenance are private works that are the responsibility of the house owner. This policy has been applied to all property owners in Hong Kong on equal basis for years. In Hong Kong, all private buildings and village houses that were already connected to the public sewerage had completed the sewer connection works at their own cost. Currently, there are building related grant and loan schemes provided by the Government and other organisation to assist those eligible house owners in need for carrying out the sewer connection works, such as the "Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners" and "Home Renovation Loan Scheme" operated by the Hong Kong Housing Society and the "Comprehensive Building Safety Improvement Loan Scheme" operated by the Buildings Department. Owners in need may contact the Hong Kong Housing Society and Buildings Department for details accordingly. Also, the Environmental Protection Department and the Drainage Services Department can provide the relevant information and referral assistance.
Ends/Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:41
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