Skip to main content
Drainage Services Department
Our Core Responsibilities

Our Core Responsibilities

corner
4,466

Total Length of Sewerage and Stormwater Drainage System

To enhance the quality of living in Hong Kong, a world-class metropolitan and home to more than seven million people, we devote ourselves to providing reliable and professional services of flood prevention and sewage treatment.

Overview of Flood Prevention

To protect the general public against flooding, we have implemented a series of flood prevention projects, including river training works, village flood protection scheme, stormwater storage scheme and drainage tunnels, to enhance flood protection level and reduce flooding risks of different districts. Our Department has also been carrying out routine inspection and regular preventive maintenance works to the stormwater drainage facilities to ensuring them functioning as designed. In addition, we have also established an "Emergency and Storm Damage Organisation" (ESDO) to handle emergency and flooding problems all year round.

Our Department is now conducting Drainage Master Plan (DMP) Review Studies for different regions in phases and formulating drainage improvement strategies to cope with the city's rapid development and changing drainage needs. The first review study for DMPs in Yuen Long and North District was completed in 2011. We also embarked on the review studies for DMPs in West Kowloon and East Kowloon in 2012 for completion in 2014 and started the review studies for DMPs in Tai Po, Sha Tin and Sai Kung in 2013 for completion in 2015.

To further enhance the flood protection level of Hong Kong, we are implementing major flood prevention works including Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme, Kai Tak River Upstream Improvement Works and Regulation of Shenzhen River Stage IV (Liantang- Heung Yuen Wai Section).

The commissioning of the four drainage tunnels has significantly reduced the surface runoff flowing into the downstream urban areas and hence alleviated the flooding risks of the areas

The commissioning of the four drainage tunnels has significantly reduced the surface runoff flowing into the downstream urban areas and hence alleviated the flooding risks of the areas

Overview of Sewage Collection, Treatment and Disposal

For the collection of sewage from the territory, we have developed a huge sewerage network with a total length of 1,683 kilometres, which is almost equivalent to the distance from Hong Kong to Jinan, Shandong. Our sewerage system is serving 93 per cent of the population in Hong Kong.

At present, we are operating 292 sewage treatment facilities, including 68 sewage treatment works (STWs) and 224 sewage pumping stations. We treat about 2.74 million cubic metres of sewage collected from our sewerage network every day.

Summary of Sewage Treatment Facilities and Sewerage Network 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Annual sewage treatment volume (million m3) 979 979 981 1,001
Coverage of public sewerage (population percentage) 93% 93% 93% 93%
Total length of sewerage network (km) 1,622 1,637 1,647 1,683
Total no. of sewage treatment facilities 277 284 287 292

Location Map of Sewage Treatment Works in 2012-13

Location Map of Sewage Treatment Works in 2012-13

A comprehensive sampling scheme is in place to provide pollutant loading measurement and monitoring of treatment efficiencies at various treatment units. In 2012-13, the total number of analyses carried out by our laboratories was about 235,870. The analytical results of the effluent quality of major sewage treatment works can be found in our website (www.dsd.gov.hk).

To improve the sewerage coverage and treatment facilities helping the sustainable development of Hong Kong, we commenced several major projects such as Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) Stage 2A, feasibility study on relocation of Shatin STW to caverns, further expansion of Shek Wu Hui STW and extension of public village sewerage.

Overview of HATS Stage 2A

Overview of HATS Stage 2A

Study area for Shatin STW relocation

Study area for Shatin STW relocation

 
Top