Director of Drainage Services Ms Alice PANG
The year 2020-21 is definitely a year full of challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government rolled out a series of social distancing measures, including arranging for colleagues to work from home, suspending all face-to-face meetings, which inevitably affected the everyday work of the Government and the lives of colleagues. However, many Government services are indispensable for our city’s smooth operation; a good example is the sewage treatment and drainage services for which the Drainage Services Department (DSD) is responsible.
The DSD has always considered scientific research to be very important. While facing the COVID-19 pandemic, we firmly believe that the resources and efforts invested in scientific research in the past were not in vain. By introducing various new technologies and adopting scientific research outcomes, we not only effectively assisted in fighting the pandemic, but also greatly improved work efficiency and sustainability performance.
The DSD has been widely applying digital technology to our works projects in recent years. We have applied Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology to project design to visualise 3D architectural structures and simulate installation and usage, thus making design and construction more accurate. We are currently applying BIM technology to modification works at sewage treatment facilities in places such as San Wai and Sha Tau Kok to enable professionals of various disciplines to address work issues in the same virtual space in order to enhance work quality and efficiency. Moreover, we have launched a new remote-controlled desilting robot and a robotic inspection boat equipped with a state-of-the-art sonar system to carry out desilting and inspection works respectively at the submerged box culverts. By obviating the need for workers to enter the box culverts, and eliminating the limitation that related works can be carried out only in the dry season, we have greatly enhanced inspection safety and maintenance efficiency.
The DSD has been encouraging research and development to improve the efficiency in works implementation and daily operations and enhance environmental performance. The team responsible for the “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” project has developed the robotic monitoring system which can effectively obviate the need for workers to enter and inspect the cavern shortly after blasting works. Equipped with various sensors, including laser scanners, the system can gather and transmit information on the condition of the caverns to project operators outside the caverns via the 5G network for the purpose of carrying out tunnel safety assessment and monitoring. Moreover, to facilitate planning of flood prevention measures, the DSD has developed the Hydrometric Information System and installed sensors of the latest model at major drainage channels throughout Hong Kong to monitor the water levels of and hydrometric information about the channels in real time for timely flood risk analysis. Furthermore, the DSD is trying to install and employ more renewable energy equipment to promote sustainable development. For instance, a thin-film photovoltaic system is being fitted above the sedimentation tank covers at Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works (STW). Upon completion, the system will be the biggest installation of its kind in Hong Kong.
Committed to service quality, the DSD will maintain a visionary mindset and strive for continuous improvement in the future. We suit technologies to works projects flexibly. One example is our attempt to use the Artificial Intelligence-based Building Information Modelling (AIBIM) System to assess internal structures of sewage treatment facilities. A synergy of AI and BIM technologies, this system can reveal the operating status of sewage treatment facilities in detail to facilitate our maintenance scheduling. Making use of advanced technologies, we incorporated green elements into all DSD projects to promote sustainable development. For instance, by conducting a joint research with academics, we have set up an Artificial Intelligence Egretry Monitoring System at Sha Tin STW on the egret flightpath to track and identify different bird species in flight. With the data collected through the system, we can gain an understanding of the living habits of birds to review and better arrange our works so as to minimise ecological impacts.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSD actively joined hands with all sectors of society to fight the virus. We collaborated with the Environmental Protection Department and the cross-disciplinary team of the University of Hong Kong to conduct a joint research on monitoring COVID-19 virus transmission by sewage analysis. COVID-19 cases were identified through the sewage surveillance technology, which played a significant role in fighting the virus. Apart from providing technical support, our colleagues also volunteered to participate fighting the virus. In January 2021, our colleagues participated in inter-departmental anti-epidemic joint operations to provide volunteering services in the “restricted area”. In addition, since the elderly and grassroots families were under tremendous pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSD volunteer team launched the “iCare – Box of Love” initiative to produce and present festive gift boxes to different social groups as a way of showing care and concern for their mental well-being and satisfying their daily needs during the pandemic.
I am grateful for our colleagues’ earnest efforts and dedication in the face of various challenges. We will continue to connect and work with the community, not only applying ourselves to providing high quality drainage services to the public, but also pursuing innovation with positive attitudes to forge ahead on Hong Kong’s road to sustainable development.
Alice PANG
Director of Drainage Services
November 2021
Stanley Sewage Treatment Works housed in caverns
The Drainage Services Department (DSD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) issues its Sustainability Report 2020-21 (“this Report”), titled “Discovery • State of the Art • Drainage Services”, to demonstrate the DSD’s work progress and accomplishments on the economic, environmental and social fronts throughout the year. We hope this Report strengthens our communication with stakeholders and enhances the transparency of our sustainability works, so that stakeholders can have deeper understanding on the works, sustainability visions and aspirations of the DSD.
This Report illustrates the DSD’s sustainability performance1 in economic, environmental and social aspects from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 (“reporting period”)2 . The reporting scope and boundaries, details of which are presented in the next section, are defined with reference to results of the materiality assessment. While we make our best endeavours to present accurate data and information in this Report, certain data and information are provided by relevant organisations and thus beyond our control.
This Report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). An independent verification agency has verified the accuracy, reliability and credibility of this Report, assuring that its contents comply with requirements of the corresponding standards. The independent verification statement can be found on page 188-189. This Report has completed the GRI Materiality Disclosures Service, which confirms that the GRI content index is clearly presented and cross references for general disclosures 102-40 to 102-49 are aligned with appropriate sections in the body of the Report. In order to better define the report content, the DSD closely observes the reporting principles, including Stakeholder Inclusiveness, Sustainability Context, Materiality, and Completeness. It also strives to maintain high reporting quality by ensuring Accuracy, Balance, Clarity, Comparability, Reliability and Timeliness.
This Report is composed in three languages (English, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese) and provided online with web-based HTML, PDF and text-only versions. An executive summary is available online and in printed form.
We value your comments and suggestions on the report contents, reporting approach as well as our sustainability performance. Your opinions are important to help us further enhance report quality and relevance of our disclosures. They are also the bedrock for our continuous improvement. Kindly complete and return the feedback form appended to this Report to us by email, fax or mail.
1102-45
2102-50
The DSD conducts a comprehensive materiality assessment every year to define the scope and boundaries of our sustainability report. An independent consultant is engaged to assists us in conducting the assessment based on GRI Standards to identify the material economic, environmental and social topics that pose greater impacts on the DSD and its stakeholders. We would incorporate these topics in our reports to enhance the focus of report contents. The materiality assessment for this Report comprises the following three major components3:
We believe that listening to and adopting opinions appropriately from stakeholders enable us to understand the sustainability topics material to the DSD. To collect stakeholders’ opinions and identify topics of their greatest concern, we invited stakeholder groups who have significant impacts on the DSD’s operations or could be significantly affected by our operations to take part in focus group meetings and questionnaire surveys. These stakeholder groups include:
3102-43
4102-40, 102-42
An independent consultant was commissioned to organise focus group meetings and questionnaire surveys in May and June 2021 to invite a total of 482 stakeholders (including 379 external and 103 internal stakeholders) to provide feedback on sustainability topics relevant to the nature of the DSD’s operations. Relevant topics cover four major aspects, including social responsibility and human rights protection, staff welfare and development, environmental protection, and operation. These exchanges shed light on stakeholders’ level of concern towards relevant issues and provided comments and suggestions on the sustainability performance of the DSD. In addition to launching stakeholder engagement activities during the preparation of this Report, we maintain close communication with all stakeholders in the course of daily operation. For details, please refer to Chapter 7 – Stakeholder Engagement.
We analysed the importance of various sustainability topics to stakeholders and the DSD’s sustainable development based on the results of focus group meetings and questionnaire surveys, and formulated a materiality matrix. Identified material topics were prioritised to define the scope and boundaries of this Report.
Importance of identified topics to stakeholders and DSD’s sustainable development is presented in the form of a materiality matrix. The most material topics are presented in the top right corner of the matrix.
Informed by findings of the materiality assessment as well as recommendations from the senior management of the DSD and the Taskforce on Sustainability Reporting, 23 materiality issues were prioritised as material for the DSD to address and report on. As compared with the previous sustainability report, topics of concern to stakeholders are similar and there is no significant change5. In particular, two topics, namely, effluent and waste treatment, and water resources management, have been adjusted to waste treatment and water resources and effluent management with reference to GRI Standards. Concluding the views of all stakeholders, we note that all stakeholder groups are highly concerned about the environmental performance of the DSD. In particular, waste treatment, environmental compliance, ecological conservation, odour control, water resources and effluent management and climate change mitigation and adaptation are top environmental concerns. In addition to disclosing relevant information in this Report, the DSD maintains close communication with stakeholders in the course of daily operation to ensure prompt response to all concerns and comments6.
Ng Tung River
5102-49
6102-44
Material topics and boundaries of this Report are tabulated below:
Material Topics7 | Topic Boundaries8,9 | |
Inside the DSD | Outside the DSD | |
Anti-corruption | ||
Social-economic Compliance | ||
Reporting on Sustainable Development Agenda | ||
Grievance Mechanism | ||
Employee Training and Education | ||
Occupational Safety and Health | ||
Internal Communication Channel | ||
Employment Policy and Employee Ratio | ||
Environmental Compliance | ||
Ecological Conservation | ||
Energy Management | ||
Waste Treatment | ||
Odour Control | ||
Water Resources and Effluent Management | ||
Air Emissions | ||
Use of Materials | ||
Supplier Environmental Assessment | ||
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation | ||
Economic Performance | ||
Procurement Policy | ||
Indirect Economic Impacts | ||
Service Quality Standards | ||
Transparency on Public Funds and Assets Management |
7102-44, 102-47
8102-46
9Topic boundaries are scopes of material topics covered by this Report, including operations of DSD offices and facilities as well as major project consultants and contractors.
The DSD has always advocated research and innovation as well as promoting technological development. Hence, we deploy resources on an ongoing basis and set up research teams to develop and apply the latest technologies in areas such as project design, daily operations and maintenance, sewage treatment and river revitalisation. Meanwhile, innovative concepts are introduced for project planning, such as Blue-Green Infrastructure that underlines revitalisation of water bodies, so as to align with the latest international technological advances and trends to enhance our services and cater to the needs of our stakeholders and the wider community.
To combat COVID-19 effectively and minimise the risk of virus spreading in clusters across the community, the DSD and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) have been collaborating with the cross-disciplinary team of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in researching and analysing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in sewage to monitor the spread of virus in the community and buildings.
Since June 2020, the DSD has been cooperating with Professor Tong ZHANG of HKU in a study on the feasibility of monitoring the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus through sewage surveillance. Subsequently in October 2020, the HKU received a grant under the Food and Health Bureau’s Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) to conduct sewage surveillance at 26 scheduled locations, including manholes, sewage pumping stations and sewage treatment plants. The DSD uses professional knowledge to analyse the sewerage system and explore the feasibility of collecting manhole sewage samples. We have also provided technical and operational support in this regard.
Owing to the fourth wave of the local COVID-19 epidemic in November 2020, the research team flexibly adjusted the surveillance strategy and focused on sampling and analysing sewage from buildings, housing estates and local communities where infected groups had been found, with a view to providing information supplementary to medical test results to help relevant government departments assess and respond to the local epidemic situation. In particular, since sewage collected at Choi Wan (II) Estate in late December 2020 tested positive, the Government issued compulsory testing notices and identified 10 asymptomatic patients (hidden cases) in the district. It was the world’s first successful case of tracking down COVID-19 infection cases through compulsory testing based on sewage surveillance results.
Temporary sewage sampling site at Choi Wan (II) Estate
Having taken into account the results of the DSD’s sewage surveillance in various districts, the Government issued compulsory testing orders, against a number of buildings and city blocks, including those issued in respect of “restricted areas” and identified a total of 51 confirmed cases in 2020-21.
Sewage sampling for surveillance
The DSD has set up a network of stationary sewage monitoring sites in 18 districts across Hong Kong to monitor the concentration of virus in sewage to analyse the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus across the territory. This helps early identification of communities with potential cases and thus hidden cases so as to sever the chain of virus transmission.
The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie LAM (second right), accompanied by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr WONG Kam-sing (first left), and the Director of Drainage Services, Ms Alice PANG (first right), receiving a briefing on the sewage sampling process
Please scan the QR Code to view the video about Sewage Surveillance:
Since the onset of a full-blown COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, some research teams reported presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in community sewage. In some instances, the virus could even be dated back to periods before COVID-19 cases were confirmed. In view of that, the DSD collaborated with the HKU to conduct a study on sewage surveillance of the virus in Hong Kong to minimise the risk of virus spreading in the community.
This study aimed to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in local sewage. Professor Tong ZHANG led a cross-disciplinary team to develop a methodology for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 by optimising the sample pre-treatment step and virus detection by an RT-qPCR (Reverse Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) test.
The study examined the influent of three major sewage treatment works (STWs), the community sewage from selected buildings with confirmed COVID-19 cases, the sewage from isolation wards of hospitals, the effluent from STWs and storm drain water in three rivers. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) of SARS-CoV-2 virus had been detected in sewage from hospitals, sewage from selected buildings and influent to STWs, proving that the sewage test protocol developed by the HKU team can be adopted as a new method for testing local sewage. This study laid a solid foundation for the subsequent joint efforts of the EPD, DSD and HKU to conduct sewage COVID-19 virus surveillance in local communities to minimise the spread of COVID-19 by early tracing of hidden cases to achieve the goal of "early identification, early isolation and early treatment".
Tong ZHANG
Chair Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
The University of Hong Kong
As a partner of the DSD for more than ten years, we have been working hand in hand to carry out various innovative research and development (R&D) projects to continuously improve the drainage services in Hong Kong. With the good relationship, proactive communication and mutual trust developed from the long-term partnership, the cross-disciplinary team of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) started this research on the SARS-CoV-2 virus in sewage with the DSD efficiently and timely to robustly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In as early as mid-2020, the DSD took the lead in co-operating with the team led by me to study the feasibility of monitoring the status of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in sewage pumping stations and sewage treatment plants through sewage surveillance, which was still in the R&D stage, to ensure the safety of their staff. Later, thanks to technical and operational supports provided by the DSD to collect sewage samples, the practice of the sewage surveillance method developed by us can be applied on a large scale in Hong Kong and successfully assisted the government to track infected individuals in the community.
Apart from combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSD and my team have also collaborated on other innovative R&D projects, such as the project of "Food Waste/Sewage Sludge Anaerobic Co-digestion Trial Scheme" in the sewage treatment plant. In this project, after mixing food waste with the sludge produced during the sewage treatment process, anaerobic co-digestion is carried out in the sewage treatment plant. The biogas generated in the co-digestion process is recycled and used to generate electricity for the sewage treatment plant, so as to achieve waste-to-energy, which in turns reduces carbon emissions and helps achieve carbon neutrality. Looking ahead, I hope that the DSD can continue to develop various innovative technologies to make long-term contributions to Hong Kong.
To identify flood risks as early as possible for the purpose of developing appropriate flood prevention measures, the DSD has deployed various monitoring devices to monitor data of rainfall, tide and water levels in real time through mobile phones and computer systems. We set up the Hydrometric Information System that uses real-time hydrometric data to analyse the situation of flooding timely so we can coordinate with relevant departments to prepare for rescue and evacuation when necessary.
Apart from collecting rainfall and tide data, the DSD has also installed sensors at more than 140 locations to gather hydrometric data 24 hours a day in real time, such as monitoring the water levels of various drainage channels. At the same time, we collaborated with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) on Internet of Things (IoT) technology and developed a new type of sensor to cope with the problems in data transmission and power supply encountered during deployment in the past. The time required for and the cost of installing the newly developed sensors has been greatly reduced. With the new technologies, we can plan to set up more data monitoring points to expand the Hydrometric Information System for wide use.
Some new sensors can be powered by solar energy
The size of the new water level sensor (left) is smaller than that of the traditional one (right)
To complement the “just-in-time clearance” inspections, we installed sensors which can provide real-time information in drainage facilities that are prone to blockage due to the topography, so that emergency teams can be arranged timely to take mitigation measures when abnormal water level is detected inside drains.
Since 2020, the DSD has been implementing the “just-in-time clearance” arrangement under which its staff, when heavy rain is forecast, will be assigned timely to inspect some 200 drainage locations in Hong Kong that are prone to blockage by refuse and fallen leaves, and take immediate action to clear blocked drains, if any, to avoid flooding due to blockage. In addition, after heavy rain and typhoons, the DSD will arrange for its staff to inspect and clear the main stormwater drainage system inlets and rivers channels so as to prepare for the next heavy rain.
A sensor is installed for “just-in-time” clearance
The Government has been promoting “Construction 2.0” in recent years to encourage the industry to put in practice the principles of “innovation”, “professionalisation” and “revitalisation”. Adopting innovative techniques and technologies in construction works can enhance productivity, and at the same time improve safety on construction sites and reduce environmental impacts. As such, the DSD has been adopting “Construction 2.0” in its construction works by incorporating various innovative techniques and equipment during design and construction, hoping to enhance work efficiency and quality, and reduce the environmental and safety risks of these projects.
During tunnel excavation, a drilling jumbo (commonly known as Jumbo) was used by the DSD for blast hole drilling at tunnel face to facilitate explosive charging works. In order to further enhance the accuracy and control of the drilling operation, an innovative Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) system was adopted to supplement Jumbo in the drilling operation, improving the quality of construction works.
Smart Drilling Jumbo
The abovementioned MWD system was built in the smart drilling jumbo, which monitored the actual position, direction and depth of each blast hole in real time, and enabled the operator in the control room to check against the original blasting design instantaneously and make timely corrections when necessary. The monitoring system can not only help improve the accuracy of drilling works but also make it easier for the project team to track the progress of work.
Monitoring drilling operation by a Jumbo operator in the control room
Using the drilling jumbo for blast hole drilling
For the “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” project, two Jumbos were used concurrently for blast hole drilling at tunnel face by the construction team. The entire process, including drilling of around 200 blast holes for each round of blast, would normally take about 3 to 4 hours to complete. The advanced MWD system was adopted by the construction team to collect rock data, including the rock strength and other engineering information, synchronously through sensors on the drilling booms during Jumbo’s drilling operation, thereby assisting engineers in perfecting the design of the blasting works.
MWD system of the drilling jumbo
Please scan the QR code to learn about the process of rock data collection with the MWD system
The project team responsible for the "Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns" developed a robotic monitoring system for unmanned tunnel entry right after the blasting works, which would carry out preliminary assessment and monitoring of the tunnel conditions, so as to identify potential safety risks in the tunnel for necessary mitigation measures.
Robotic monitoring system
Engineers can monitor in real time through the system the level of various types of gas in the tunnel, including oxygen, explosive gas, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, and check the air quality in the tunnel to ensure it is safe for entry. The system was also equipped with laser scanner to analyse the face and crown conditions of excavated tunnel section. High-definition point cloud images and data collected are then transferred to the project team offsite through a dedicated 5G network, enabling geotechnical engineers to evaluate the geotechnical risk in the tunnel after blasting and implement necessary mitigation measures, thus minimising the safety risk of workers for tunnel entry
A point cloud image of a rock face in a cavern
Monitoring in real time through the system various types of gas in the tunnel
The DSD has been actively using Building Information Modelling (BIM) during project planning, design and construction. Compared with traditional plans, not only can BIM draw in three dimensions, but also allow project teams to design in a digital environment and grasp details of a project more accurately, such as complex building structures, construction methods and processes.
Using BIM technology to view site information
Combing IoT for site safety supervision
Upgrading of San Wai STW is one of the DSD’s projects in which BIM technology was adopted. BIM technology has been utilised during the entire project life cycle, from design, construction to operation and maintenance, so that the project team could communicate with each other, coordinate and solve problems on the same digital platform. Other systems, such as asset and maintenance management, IoT monitoring and point cloud scanning, were also introduced integrating with BIM to fully realise its potential, as well as improving work safety, facilities management and productivity. The works entered the operation stage smoothly in September 2020, making it a successful example of the DSD’s application of BIM technology to a large-scale project, and providing valuable reference materials for similar projects in the future.
A BIM image of San Wai Sewage Treatment Works
Application of the 4D Immersive CAVE System
In the implementation of its recent projects, the DSD has been using the 4D Immersive Computer Aided Virtual Environment for Building Information Modelling (CAVE) System to create virtual reality contents through high-resolution projection screens, displaying the environment of the projects via 4D images to project teams. This system allows colleagues to understand the latest progress of projects comprehensively by putting all of them in the same virtual reality environment without wearing any support equipment.
Based on state-of-the-art image technology, CAVE System enables the management to understand project details, spot as soon as possible potential hazards and plan future works accurately. Moreover, CAVE System allows us to easily understand various site features and view the monitoring data of different locations, such as settlement and environmental monitoring points.
The DSD actively considers measures to minimise the impact on the ecology arising from project implementation and is dedicated to implementing effective conservation solutions and introducing Green AI technology to conserve the surrounding ecological environment. Collaborating with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, we set up an AI Egretry Monitoring System and installed 360-degree AI cameras at Sha Tin STW which is on the egret flightpath. Equipped with the advanced “Edge AI technology”, the AI camera can read contents of the incoming photons on image sensors, thereby enabling instant identification on birds tracking and their flying movement. Through monitoring the species, numbers and habits of egrets, we can review and better plan the construction works of the “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” project so as to minimise its impact on the environment.
A 360-degree AI camera installed at Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works
AI cameras can identify egret species
The DSD manages over 4,700 kilometres of underground drains and sewers. This extensive drainage network requires significant resources and time for maintenance to ensure smooth operation. To enhance the efficiency of maintenance work and assure the safety of frontline staff, the DSD has been exploring and introducing appropriate innovative technologies, such as Robotic Inspection Boat and Artificial Intelligence, in order to improve the process of maintenance work.
During maintenance work, we would deploy a small mechanical car which can enter the drains and use the camera installed to record and inspect the conditions of drains. However, condition of the drains cannot be captured if the camera is soaked in water. As a result, we started using Robotic Inspection Boat to ensure high visibility during drain inspection even at high water levels, so as to arrange suitable clearing or repair works.
Observing the conditions of drains through the Robotic Inspection Boat
A worker on the ground receives information from Robotic Inspection Boat
Apart from a camera, the Robotic Inspection Boat is also equipped with an advanced sonar system which can scan the conditions underwater, including siltation level of the drains. Relevant data are transmitted to the ground, making the inspection of drains safer and more efficient.
Robotic Inspection Boat
When stormwater is discharged to the sea through underground box culverts, the washed-off sand, stones and dust carried in the water will accumulate gradually to form silt and affect the drainage capacity of culverts. To ensure that the culverts are functioning properly and reduce flood risks, the DSD will inspect box culverts on a regular basis and arrange desilting works when necessary.
If workers use the traditional desiliting method, they need to physically enter confined box culverts to install and operate desilting devices, thus exposing themselves to certain safety risks. Besides, the traditional method requires interception of water flow in the culverts to allow workers to carry out desilting work in an environment without water flowing through, which means the work is limited mostly to dry season.
To guarantee the safety of workers and enhance work efficiency, the DSD is using a new remote-controlled desilting robot to spare workers from entering box culverts. Furthermore, since the robot can carry out desilting works in submerged culverts, desilting work can be conducted all year round without the need for interception of water flow, which in turn will expedite the progress of desilting works, lower the costs and significantly improve work efficiency.
Remote-controlled desilting robot
A worker remotely controls the desilting robot
Working with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the DSD has been combining the advantages of AI and BIM technologies to facilitate assessment of the structural conditions of sewage treatment facilities to complement each other to achieve full potential. By using the Big Data-AI analytics to conduct an analysis of the images captured by a mobile 360-degree camera and integrating analysis results into BIM models, the DSD’s staff can gain a thorough understanding of the structural conditions of the facilities before formulating a suitable maintenance and repair programme.
Capturing images with a 360-degree camera
Hong Kong has an extensive underground drainage network that spans across the territory. Many stormwater drains and sewers in old districts have been in use for over 30 years, and some are showing signs of ageing and deterioration. In this connection, ongoing preventive rehabilitation works are carried out by the DSD to rehabilitate high-risk underground pipes. When replacing damaged pipes, we adopt advanced pipe rehabilitation technologies that require no excavation of pipe trenches or road surfaces - including cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining, slip-lining technology and spiral wound rehabilitation technology - in replacement of the conventional cut-and-cover method, for the purpose of replacing damaged pipes, to reduce impact on traffic and the public.
A soft polyester liner is inserted in the existing pipe in compressed air. The liner is then expanded and hardened by steam, hot water or compressed air when cured by UV lamp equipment to form a new pipe.
Slip-lining technology involves pushing a fibreglass plastic liner into an old or damaged pipe and filling the gap between the new and old pipelines with cement slurry to form a new pipe. This rehabilitation method is applicable to pipes with a high flow rate, since it does not involve flow interception.
Spiral wound rehabilitation refers to the use of a winding machine to spirally wind steel-reinforced polyethylene strips which will then form a new pipe within the existing pipe.
The DSD is committing itself to implementing river revitalisation projects in recent years, aiming at improving drainage capabilities of river channels. We are integrating innovative ideas into project design proactively. This would not only enhance ecological and aesthetic values of Revitalised river channel, but also transform them into public space for public enjoyment and leisure activities. For more details, please refer to Chapter 4 – Our Core Responsibilities and Chapter 5 – Environmental Management of this Report.
Before commencing revitalisation projects, the DSD would conduct thorough research and experiments to analyse the feasibility of various plans for improving the ecological environment of nullahs. In recent years, the DSD has been working with Atkins China Limited and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to carry out a study on the capability of different plant species in removing pollutants and the growth conditions of different aquatic plant species in Tsui Ping River. This study consists of two parts, namely conducting laboratory tests on selected plant species and conducting a planting trial in Tsui Ping River. Having conducted the study, the Department has gained valuable experience that can help select appropriate plant species and planting methods for river revitalisation.
Siu Ho Wan Research and Development Nursery
Planting trial in Tsui Ping River
During the year, the DSD continued to carry out and improve our sewage treatment and flood prevention initiatives, while introducing various innovative technologies in different works projects, including the Expansion of Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works. At the same time, we maintained close interactions with the academia and industry by dedicating ourselves to studying the feasibility of adopting bluegreen infrastructure and employing energy conservation, emission reduction and renewable energy technologies, in order to enhance work efficiency and ensure that sewage treatment and flood prevention in Hong Kong meet international standards.
To step up public promotion of our work, the DSD issued its mascot called “Drainy” in 2021. The Chinese name of the mascot represents the wastewater and stormwater in sewage and drainage systems. With a manhole cover on his head, Drainy comes from and lives in the underground pipe world. As a specialist in tackling issues related to drains, Drainy can travel freely above ground and in drains. In order to cultivate friendships with humans, Drainy, who is tall and strong, puts on a jumpsuit to transform into an adorable mascot.
Drainy will star at various events to promote the message “Clean up our water, prepare for the rainy day”, and urge the public to take care of our drains and sewers. As Drainy has made the official debut, relevant Facebook and Instagram pages are now available. We would publish videos and posts featuring Drainy on these social media platforms with simple tips on drainage issues and the latest news from the DSD.
To access corresponding posts and latest information, simply scan the following QR codes or mobile phone link, or search “Drainy” on social media platforms.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drainy.hk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drainy_hk
Aligning with social distancing measures implemented by the Government during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSD has launched a thematic webpage “DSD Facilities Online Tour” in September 2020. This thematic website features 360-degree panoramic photos, high-definition photo albums and even a virtual tour. The public can get a full picture of the DSD’s core activities, including flood prevention and sewage treatment facilities safely and comfortably at home.
Combining text and pictures, DSD Facilities Online Tour enables the public to learn about the DSD’s main facilities. The 360-degree panoramic photos on this thematic webpage present the actual view of the facilities in a three-dimensional way, giving the public a fully immersive experience to understand their operation from multiple angles as if they were present at the facilities.
Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank
Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works
Currently, online tours are available of DSD facilities including Ngong Ping STW, which is the first tertiary sewage treatment works in Hong Kong, Stanley STW, Sha Tin STW, Siu Ho Wan STW, Stonecutters Island STW, Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank, Tai Hang Tung Stormwater Storage Tank, Lai Chi Kok Drainage Tunnel, and San Tin Stormwater Pumping Station and Yuen Long Bypass Floodway. It is worth mentioning that we have, as a first step, launched the virtual tour of Stanley STW which is the first sewage treatment works housed inside caverns in Southeast Asia. Guided by voice navigation, visitors can better understand the operation and features of the facility. More virtual tours of DSD facilities will be provided in the future so that the public can learn more about the services provided by the DSD.
Please scan the QR Code to join the DSD Facilities Online Tour
Yuen Long Bypass Floodway Engineered Wetland
Ngong Ping Sewage Treatment Works
Virtual tour of Stanley Sewage Treatment Works
A new set of TV and Radio APIs was rolled out by the DSD in April 2020 to canvass public cooperation to minimise flood risk by keeping private drains unblocked. The APIs are being broadcast on various TV and radio channels.
To add extra fun and catch audience’s attention, we made use of miniatures to create vivid scenes during shooting of the new APIs. The APIs are not only aimed at reminding the public to refrain from blocking or altering drainage channels and to refrain from carrying out inappropriate land-filling activities, but also aimed at calling on private landowners to conduct drainage maintenance and inspections regularly to minimise flood risk. The TV APIs have already been uploaded to the DSD website.
To enable the public to gain a better understanding of the “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” project, the DSD held a thematic exhibition at City Gallery from 2 December to 30 December 2020, during which the information on the latest progress of and the innovative technology applicable to the project was provided through videos, display panels, computer games and physical models. In addition, the DSD organised online seminars on 12 and 13 December 2020 to give information on not only the latest progress of and the innovative technology applicable to the project but also the daily operation of Sha Tin STW, the largest existing secondary STW in Hong Kong, and Stanley STW, the first STW built in caverns in Hong Kong, so as to enable the public to gain a better understanding of the benefits of housing STWs in the caverns and sewage treatment in Hong Kong.
“Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” Online Seminar
Online talk on introduction to “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” and Stanley Sewage Treatment Works
“Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” Thematic Exhibition
The DSD Sustainability Report 2018-19 received a number of local and international awards and honours, including:
The DSD’s works projects “Construction of Dry Weather Flow Interceptor at Cherry Street Box Culvert” and “Expansion of Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works Phase 1 and Village Sewerage in Tong To” were awarded the New Engineering Contract (NEC) Water Contract of the Year 2020 and the “Highly Commended #1” prize respectively by the United Kingdom’s New Engineering Contract (UKNEC) Users' Group. The latter project also clinched the “Highly Commended #1” prize of NEC Contract Innovation Award 2020 on the strength of its innovative pilot initiatives, including the digitisation of the works supervision system.
The “Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant” project received the “Provisional Platinum Rating” under BEAM Plus New Building organised by the Hong Kong Green Building Council Limited in April 2020. Subsequently in May and August of the same year respectively, the project mentioned above and the “Yuen Long Effluent Polishing Plant” project were awarded “Platinum Rating” under BEAM Plus Neighbourhood.
The DSD’s “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” project was awarded BIM Projects 2020 Award by the Construction Industry Council (CIC).
The DSD’s two project teams respectively responsible for the “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” and “Expansion of Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works Phase 1 and Village Sewerage in Tong To”, were awarded Gold Award and Merit Award of Project Owner (Public Sector) respectively at the CIC Sustainable Construction Award 2020.
DSD’s project “Upgrading of San Wai Sewage Treatment Works” was awarded Winner at Autodesk Hong Kong Building Information Modelling (BIM) Award 2020. “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns” project, as well as “Construction of Dry Weather Flow Interceptor at Cherry Street Box Culvert” project, received Honorable Mentions.
Mr Michael CHENG Chun-wai (left), the DSD’s Engineer and Mr SUN Shun-choi, the then Chief Technical Officer, received Awards for Officers of Public Organisations at the “Ombudsman’s Awards 2020”.
The DSD was awarded Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award 2019 by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific/World Meteorological Organisation (ESCAP/WMO) Typhoon Committee in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards flood prevention and mitigation in response to tropical cyclones and extreme weather.
The DSD was awarded Gold Certificate in “Privacy-Friendly Awards 2021” by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong, in recognition of its efforts to protect personal data privacy.
Awards received by the DSD’s staff, research projects and works projects during the year include:
Organisers | Awards |
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Environmental Campaign Committee | Hong Kong Green Organisation |
2019 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence
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2019 Hong Kong Green Innovations Awards
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The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers |
The HKIE Innovation Award 2020
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Development Bureau and Construction Industry Council |
26th Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme
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Innovative Enhancement for Lifting Safety
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Lifting Team
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Innovative Safety Initiative Award 2020
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Construction Industry Council |
Construction Industry Volunteer Award Scheme 2020
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The Institute of Safety and Health Practitioners |
ISHP Outstanding Safety & Health Awards 2020
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Hong Kong Construction Association |
HKCA Safety Awards 2020
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Occupational Safety and Health Council |
21st Construction Safety Award
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Since our establishment in 1989, the DSD has always put public interest first in our operations while fully disclosing our corporate governance principles and practices to maintain high credibility and reputation. We have established a complete and solid corporate governance framework to realise our vision, mission and values. Under the leadership of the senior management, our various committees and working groups promote sustainable development proactively. We also continuously improve our sustainable development management approach and policies based on our experience, international trends and stakeholders’ feedback.
The DSD, established in 1989, is one of the departments under the Development Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We are committed to providing professional and high quality sewage and stormwater drainage service to the public. Making joint efforts with all sectors to combat challenges arising from climate change and urban development, the DSD is determined to drive sustainable development in Hong Kong and we have incorporated the sustainability concept in our “Vision, Mission and Values”.
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Director of Drainage Services
Ms Alice PANG
Formed by the Director of Drainage Services, a Deputy Director and four Assistant Directors, the Department’s senior management team is responsible for making important policy decisions and overseeing the Department’s daily operations, ensuring the services provided by the DSD are cost-effective and environmentally responsible, as well as formulating and reviewing our sustainability strategies and goals. The senior management team members include:
Then Deputy Director of Drainage Services
Mr Wilson PANG Wai-shing
Then Assistant Director/ Operations and Maintenance
Mr HO Yiu-kwong
Assistant Director/ Projects and Development
Mr Ken WONG Sui-kan
Assistant Director/ Sewage Services
Mr Walter LEUNG Wing-yuen
Then Assistant Director/ Electrical and Mechanical
Mr Eddie PAK Kan-ming
Departmental Secretary
Mr Chris LI Chi-kong
The DSD consists of four branches, including Sewage Services Branch, Operations and Maintenance Branch, Projects and Development Branch and Electrical and Mechanical Branch. Under these branches, there are 17 subordinate functional divisions, where the Cavern Projects Division and the Planning & Rehabilitation Division are new divisions. In addition, administration, accounting and technical support are handled by the Departmental Administration Division, Finance and Supplies Section and Technical Support Group at our headquarters respectively. As at March 2021, we have a permanent staff establishment of 2,050.
Each of the four Assistant Directors leads a branch to provide technical and professional support services in its specific field. The duties of each branch are as follows:
is responsible for implementing capital works projects, including the design and construction of drains, flood control and relief works, sewerage network and sewage treatment facilities.
is responsible for the operation and maintenance of sewage treatment and flood prevention facilities, as well as providing electrical and mechanical design and installation works in sewage treatment and flood protection projects of the department.
is responsible for operating and maintaining drainage and sewerage systems across the territory, as well as preventing floods, planning drainage and sewerage systems, enforcing the Land Drainage Ordinance and managing and maintaining engineered drainage channels.
is responsible for facilitating village public sewerage, stormwater system enhancement projects and sewage treatment and collection systems and projects, such as the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, and collecting sewage services charges.
The DSD has a holistic and comprehensive sustainability management structure, covering a wide range of sustainability aspects. We proactively examine relevant issues, supervise related initiatives and provide appropriate recommendations, under the leadership of our senior management. To continuously improve our management approach and enhance our sustainability performance, we adopt suitable international standards and management systems, and also strengthen communication with stakeholders and solicit their views on our sustainable development through multiple channels.
Sha Tin Sewage Treatement Works
We have set up three committees chaired by the Deputy Director and two working groups led by an Assistant Director and a Chief Engineer respectively, including:
The Committee is responsible for reviewing the environmental management policy, formulating environmental work objectives and targets, and monitoring the effectiveness of environmental programmes and measures.
During the reporting period, the Committee held two meetings to have in-depth discussions on topics including energy conservation, emission reduction, waste reduction and greening. Environmental initiatives were also reviewed for their latest progress.
The Group is responsible for overseeing and promoting occupational safety and health across all DSD undertakings. To prevent work-related accidents, the Group sets safety standards and guidelines,formulates improvement procedures and measures, and reviews their implementation and effectiveness.
In the year under review, the Group held three meetings to review the safety performance of the DSD’s construction sites and employees, and to formulate new occupational safety initiatives and promotion programmes.
The Committee is responsible for conducting research to support development plans of the DSD. The Committee consists of two teams, which coordinate research projects in civil engineering and electrical and mechanical engineering respectively.
The Committee held six meetings in the year. During the year, the DSD completed a total of 15 research projects on diversified topics, covering AIBIM System, planting trial for Tsui Ping River, application of eco-landscape design in DSD facilities, impact of the Cavern Sewage Treatment System on regional groundwater flow, adsorption cooling system, demand control ventilation system in cavern, photocatalytic disinfection, moving bed biofilm reactor, and detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in sewage.
Energy conservation and emission reduction are key environmental issues that the DSD focuses on. Led by the Assistant Director/Electrical and Mechanical, members of the Team identify emission sources, benchmark performance, implement improvement measures and share professional knowledge to help improve the DSD’s energy and emission performance.
The Taskforce, led by a Chief Engineer, gives comments and makes decisions related to the preparation of our annual sustainability report. These include selecting the international standards to be adopted for reporting, defining stakeholder engagement plans and identifying material topics.
The DSD has been building and implementing management systems in line with international standards since 2002. To date, we have put in place an integrated management system made up of multiple systems that cover the aspects of quality, environment and occupational health and safety.
We adhere to the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” approach and continuously improve our management systems. In 2018, the DSD successfully upgraded the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System to conform to the new standards of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. In 2020, the DSD also migrated from the obsolete OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management standard to the new ISO 45001:2018 standard, which covers the headquarters and all facilities of the DSD, providing more comprehensive health and safety protection to our staff.
Facing challenges posed by climate change and urban development, we strive to optimise our asset management to reduce operational costs. In July 2019, all DSD-owned sewage treatment works (STWs), sewage pumping stations (SPSs) and stormwater pumping stations passed the certification audit for the ISO 55001 Asset Management System, making us one of the first government departments to obtain such accreditation. As at March 2021, all the DSD owned sewage treatment and stormwater facilities were included in the ISO 55001 Asset Management System, except for eight STWs and SPSs which are being operated under “Design, Build and Operate” contracts or undergoing upgrading projects.
The DSD spares no effort to provide top-tier wastewater and stormwater treatment and drainage services to the community, devoting itself to building a sustainable living environment and alleviating flooding risks to the public. Moreover, we endeavour to ensure the quality of the waterbodies in Hong Kong and support sustainable development in Hong Kong.
Facing the challenges brought by extreme weather conditions, such as typhoons and rainstorms, the DSD is committed to enhancing the stormwater drainage capacity of Hong Kong. In 2020, annual total rainfall was approximately 2,395 millimetres, similar to an average of 2,400 millimetres recorded between 1981 and 2010. However, there were two Black Rainstorm events and seven Red Rainstorm events during the year. Frequent rainstorms in 2020 exposed Hong Kong to flooding risks, posing greater challenges to our flood prevention work.
Based on previous experience in combating super typhoons, the DSD has scaled up actions well before the approach of typhoons, including precautionary inspections and clearance of major drainage channels and inlets to ensure no obstacles in the drains would pose flooding risk, particularly at flooding blackspots. Collaborating with other government departments, we take joint flood prevention efforts to identify low-lying coastal areas that are vulnerable to tidal backflow (including Tai O and Lei Yue Mun) and initiate flood prevention measures, such as installing demountable flood barriers and non-return flap valves and building flood walls. Storm surge alert, an early alert system for low-lying coastal areas, has been developed by the Government. This alert is issued timely by the Hong Kong Observatory and upon activation emergent flood relief measures are launched at relevant locations immediately to minimise the impact of flooding.
To further reduce the impact of flooding, we have set up the "Emergency and Storm Damage Organisation (ESDO)" that operates on a 24/7 basis to arrange personnel to handle emergency cases and flooding incidents, including the release of relevant information, communicating with the emergency organisations of other government departments and deploying resources. We have also set up an "Emergency Control Centre" and identified blackspots easily affected by floods. We would send contingency teams to these blackspots to carry out inspections and clear drains during heavy rainstorm or before the Gale or Storm Signal No. 8 is in force, in the hope of reducing the impact of heavy rainstorms and typhoons.
The DSD is committed to enhancing the quality of flood protection work in Hong Kong. To this end, we design and build the city’s drainage system in accordance with international standards to ensure adequate flood protection capabilities. The drainage system is inspected and maintained regularly, and the Drainage Master Plans (DMPs) of each district is reviewed and adjusted as a preventive measure to combat local extreme weather events.
Installing demountable flood barriers in Tai O
Emergency Control Centre
Urbanisation, increasing surface runoff, reducing flood plains and frequent extreme weather events would heighten the risk of flooding in low-lying or coastal areas. Considering the topographical featuresof different districts, the DSD has developed a “three-pronged flood prevention strategy” to combat flooding threats at various locations. The strategy, including stormwater interception, flood storage, and drainage improvement, has effectively mitigated the risk of flooding arising from torrential rain.
We have been eliminating flooding blackspots all over Hong Kong to reduce the material impact that flooding imposed on each district. In March 2021, we have successfully removed the flooding blackspot at Ting Kok Road in Tai Po, and completed the first stage improvement works for the remaining four blackspots. Further improvement works for Pok Fu Lam Village commenced in August 2020, while the next stage of improvement works for the remaining three blackspots are under planning and design. We anticipate that all blackspots will be eliminated gradually in the near future to reduce the impact on the public.
Previous records show that certain areas would be more severely affected during typhoons, including seawater inundation or infusion attributed to the rise of sea level from the storm. Floods may also occur when rising sea level causes sea waves to overtop seawalls. We have identified seven Storm Surge Spots as well as three Overtopping Wave Spots. An Early Alert System for Storm Surge has been established for these spots. Upon any alert, we would arrange personnel to implement contingency measures on site, such as deploying pumping equipment, installing demountable flood barriers and placing sandbags to avoid a large amount of seawater pouring in and affecting residents nearby.
The DSD is responsible for managing the drainage system in Hong Kong, covering over 2,400 kilometres of underground stormwater drains, 360 kilometres of engineered channels, 21 kilometres of drainage tunnels, and four underground stormwater storage tanks. We are committed to inspecting and maintaining each system and facility thoroughly to ensure smooth drainage. During the year, we inspected over 2,350 kilometres of drains and river channels. Furthermore, we also conduct functional and structural checks on facilities regularly and clear blockages before and after the rainy season.
Drainage clearance
Some villages in Hong Kong are located in low-lying areas, leading to potential floods during heavy rainstorms. To reduce the impact of floods on these villages, the DSD has been implementing Village Flood Protection Schemes. Embankments are constructed around low-lying villages where stormwater pumping staions and storage ponds are built to temporarily store and pump rainwater during heavy rain. 27 Village Flood Protection Schemes are currently in operation, providing flood protection for 38 low-lying villages.
Kiu Tau Wai Village Flood Protection Scheme
From 1994 to 2010, the DSD implemented Drainage Master Plan (DMP) studies to review the drainage systems across Hong Kong, identify issues resulted by floods and recommend corresponding improvement measures in the short- and long-term to ensure they meet flood protection standards. Since 2008, we have been reviewing the DMP studies of different districts in phases by carrying out DMP 2.0 Studies for 12 catchment areas, so as to cope with ongoing land developments, change of land uses in various areas and challenges brought by climate change. The progress is as below:
Study Areas | Status |
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1Yuen Long and North District | Completed in 2011 |
2Happy Valley | |
3West Kowloon | Completed in 2015 |
4East Kowloon | |
5Tai Po | Completed in 2017 |
6Sha Tin and Sai Kung | |
7Northern Hong Kong Island | Completed in 2019 |
8Repulse Bay and Tai Tam | Completed in 2020 |
9Lantau and Outlying Islands | In progress, anticipated to be completed in 2021 |
10Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing | |
11Southern Hong Kong Island | In progress, anticipated to be completed in 2024 |
12Tseung Kwan O | Under planning |
Not only does the DSD strives to maintain normal operation of its drainage facilities, but it is also actively conducting improvement works to turn its facilities into a leisure space with ecological conservation value that can provide a brand new experience for the public. For instance, we are conducting improvement works at King Yip Street Nullah, a nullah in Kwun Tong with a history of more than 50 years that is approximately one kilometre in length, with a view to enhancing its flood conveyance capability, as well as turning it into a vibrant Tsui Ping River. The revitalisation project aims to enhance the ecological value of King Yip Street Nullah and promote water friendly activities, thereby providing a green leisure space for the public.
Under the design concept of connecting Tsui Ping River with its surrounding areas in the district and integrating the river channel with its adjacent leisure facilities, the DSD will not only construct riverside pedestrian walkways, river crossing pathways and river crossing landscaped decks to link up various leisure and recreational facilities in the district for the convenience of pedestrians, but also provide public leisure space along the river, so as to turn Tsui Ping River into a new landmark where the public can enjoy the waterscape and carry out leisure activities.
To enhance the functionality of Tsui Ping River, we are planning to install a smart water gate that can move up and down according to the ebb and flow of the tide in downstream areas. The smart water gate will be linked to the Hong Kong Observatory’s weather forecast system in such a way that the gate will be lowered automatically during adverse weather conditions to enhance the drainage capacity of the river channel. Also, the gate can regulate the water level according to the natural tidal cycle to create an eye-catching waterfall effect, thereby reducing reliance on pumping facilities and minimising energy consumption.
Photomontage of the revitalised Tsui Ping River
Works commenced in July 2020 and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
The DSD is introducing the West Kowloon Drainage Improvement Plan that aims to reduce flooding risks in West Kowloon and increase local yield. To this end, we are constructing a water tunnel approximately 2.8 kilometres in length to connect Kowloon Byewash Reservoir and Lower Shing Mun Reservoir. The new tunnel will transfer collected surface runoff from the Kowloon group of reservoirs to Lower Shing Mun Reservoir. This move can reduce the load of surface runoff handled by the drainage systems in Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok. Fully in place, the Inter-Reservoirs Transfer Scheme will serve a dual purpose of improving flood protection capabilities and saving water resources, and also generate an additional annual freshwater yield of about 3.4 million cubic metres.
The project commenced in February 2019 and tunnel construction work begun in mid-2020. The project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2022, with an estimated cost of about $1.22 billion.
The water tunnel is constructed by a tunnel boring machine
The DSD has completed the "Review of Drainage Master Plans in Yuen Long and North Districts – Feasibility Study (the DMP Review Study)". It was identified that the drainage system in Yuen Long District did not fully meet the current flood protection standards. With worsening climate change impacts and more frequent extreme weather events in recent years, Yuen Long’s relatively flat topography puts it at higher risk of flooding during storm surges and rainstorms. To address this issue, the DSD sought reference from the experience of other coastal countries and came up with a brand new flood protection strategy – Barrage Scheme that is accordant to local geographical environment and weather characteristics.
In view of the above issue, the DSD has holistically reviewed the nullahs in the district, and has planned to carry out improvement and revitalisation works. Under the "Improvement of Yuen Long Town Nullah (Town Centre Section)" project, we will construct a Dry Weather Flow Interceptor (DWFI) System in the corresponding section of the nullah to intercept the polluted dry weather flow to alleviate odour and environmental nuisances. In addition, we will construct flood protection facilities at the downstream end of Yuen Long Nullah under the Yuen Long Barrage Scheme to enhance drainage capacity of the nullah. Upon completion of the two aforementioned works, there will be an opportunity to revitalise the existing concrete-lined Yuen Long Nullah.
Photomontage of the revitalised Yuen Long Nullah
The above projects are now in the design stage, with an estimation to get started after applying for funding from the Legislative Council in 2022. The works are scheduled for commencement in end 2022 and completion in 2029 by stages.
Providing Hong Kong with world-class sewage treatment services is an important component of our vision. Thus, our professional team is committed to maintaining efficient sewage collection, treatment and discharge services, as well as conducting regular repair and maintenance to ensure that the whole sewage treatment process is operating smoothly. Meanwhile, we have been leveraging advanced technologies and modern facilities to minimise pollutant discharge and make sure that our facilities meet the established environmental protection objectives. To protect the local water quality and promote the sustainable development of Hong Kong, we will continue to expand the coverage of Hong Kong’s sewerage system and improve the sewage treatment facilities in the future.
1Calculated based on residential water accounts with sewage charges paid
To meet Hong Kong’s high demand for land for long-term development, the Government is actively developing caverns to expand land resource. In support of the Government’s development plan, the DSD is carrying out relocation works to move Sha Tin STW to the excavated caverns in Nui Po Shan across Shing Mun River. The caverns serve as natural barriers for the future STW, thereby enhancing odour management to minimise the odour impact on nearby residents. Also, about 28 hectares of land on the site of the existing Sha Tin STW will be released and planned for other beneficial and needed uses for improving the living environment in Sha Tin.
Upon completion, the new Sha Tin STW in caverns is anticipated to be the largest of its kind in Hong Kong, with an estimated daily treatment capacity of about 340,000 cubic metres. The relocation project involving site preparation and access tunnel construction, main caverns construction and upstream sewerage works, sewage treatment facilities installation, as well as decommission and demolition of the existing Sha Tin STW, will be implemented in stages. The entire project is expected to take about 13 years to complete.
The project’s design work has been completed in phases since 2017. Stage 1 works, which include site formation, construction of access tunnel and retaining structures as well as associated road works, commenced in February 2019 and are expected to be completed in 2022 as scheduled. For Stage 2 works which include construction of the main caverns complex and upstream sewerage works, funding was approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in January 2021 and construction works commenced in July 2021. The DSD is working on the detailed design of the remaining works and pushing forward with the project.
Stage 1 works of “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns”
To improve the water quality of Victoria Harbour by collecting and treating sewage from both sides of the Harbour, the HATS had been carried out in two phases since 1994. As the largest ever environmental infrastructure project in Hong Kong, with a total cost of $25.8 billion, the construction works spanned over two decades. The facilities of HATS Stage 1 and Stage 2A were fully commissioned in December 2001 and December 2015 respectively. We will carry out a study to review the performance of the HATS system, assess the operational condition of different system components and draw up recommendations to enhance the HATS system and facilities.
Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works
Feasibility study on HATS system management commenced in May 2020 and has almost completed. Detailed studies would be followed and would be conducted in three phases. The 1st phase would cover the detailed investigation of the system and facilities enhancement works for six preliminary treatment works at the harbour sides, with the target to commence in mid-2022.
In response to district development and public expectations of continuous environmental betterment, we are planning to transform the existing Shek Wu Hui STW, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, into Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant. The project involves gradually upgrading the facility to tertiary treatment level and expanding the sewage treatment capacity of the plant from 93,000 cubic metres per day to 190,000 cubic metres per day in phases to ensure that its discharge will conform with more stringent environmental requirements, thus protecting the ecological environment of Deep Bay. In the future, we will also add appropriate landscape facilities and a riverside promenade to improve the appearance of the plant, so as to enhance its role as an educational site for water conservation and make the plant a multipurpose community facility.
Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works Improvement Works
The advance works of Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant commenced in mid-2015. A group of conventional secondary sewage treatment facilities with a capacity of 20,000 cubic metres was converted into a membrane bioreactor with a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres. These facilities have been in operation since December 2019. The main works are being implemented currently in three phases. The first phase started in the third quarter of 2019 and the final phase is scheduled for completion in 2034. The estimated cost for the advance works, investigation and design is about $500 million, while the estimated cost for the main works comes to about $13.2 billion.
Currently, Yuen Long STW serves Yuen Long Town, Yuen Long Industrial Estate and Kam Tin areas with treatment capacity of 70,000 cubic metres per day at secondary sewage treatment level. To cope with the population growth and development needs, we will upgrade the treatment capacity of Yuen Long STW in stages to 150,000 cubic metres per day. The sewage treatment level will also be upgraded to tertiary treatment level, improving the effluent quality to meet the more stringent discharge requirements, thus minimising adverse environmental impact on the ecological setting of Deep Bay. Also, the plant will use renewable energy to enhance environmental performance. Moreover, we adopt substantial greening features to beautify the plant’s exterior, and public co-use facilities will be in place to benefit the local community.
Photomontage of the Yuen Long Effluent Polishing Plant
The upgrading works will be implemented in two stages. The construction of Stage 1 Works commenced in November 2020 for completion in 2027. Estimated cost for Stage 1 Works is about $6.9 billion while the budget for investigation and design is approximately $89 million.
We expect short-term increase in the sewage volume of various areas in Sha Tau Kok, including Sha Tau Kok Town, Yim Liu Ha, Tsoi Yuen Kok and Sha Tau Kok Chuen. As such, the DSD has planned to redevelop Sha Tau Kok STW in situ to increase its sewage treatment capacity from about 1,660 cubic metres per day to about 5,000 cubic metres per day to cope with surging sewage volume. The project includes the construction of a submarine outfall which is approximately 1.7 kilometres in length and 450 millimetres in diameter, and the replacement of the existing sewage pumping station and rising mains with new gravity sewers.
Being the first “Construction 2.0” pilot project of the DSD, this expansion deployed a number of advanced techniques, namely, off-site construction, smart infrastructure and BIM techniques. In line with the direction of “innovation, professionalisation and revitalisation”, we will strive to enhance construction efficiency, project quality and safety management.
Photomontage of the completed Expansion of Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works Phase 1
Construction works commenced in November 2018 for completion in 2025. Estimated project cost is about $2.04 billion. To maintain sewage treatment in the service area during construction, the contractor is required to build temporary sewage treatment facilities.
The local population of Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and Hung Shui Kiu has seen continuous growth in recent years, leading to an increase in sewage discharge. To cope with this situation, the DSD has implemented works to upgrade San Wai STW. Its treatment capacity has been increased from about 164,000 cubic metres per day to about 200,000 cubic metres per day, while its sewage treatment level has also been upgraded from preliminary treatment to chemically enhanced primary treatment with ultraviolet disinfection. This project is instrumental in improving the quality of Hong Kong’s northwestern waters.
Aerial view of San Wai Sewage Treatment Works
Under the terms of a “Design, Build and Operate” contract, the project was launched in May 2016 and started handling sewage in September 2020. The contractor is now undertaking the operation and maintenance of the new San Wai STW for 10 to 15 years. Estimated project cost is about $3.14 billion.
Sewerage network expansion is planned for Cheung Chau in the future to link the existing network to additional areas on the island. In preparation for this upcoming project, the DSD is conducting improvement works at Cheung Chau STW by constructing additional treatment facilities to increase its sewage treatment capacity from 4,000 cubic metres per day to 9,800 cubic metres per day. The sewage treatment level will be upgraded from primary to secondary.
Photomontage of the completed Improvement Works at Cheung Chau Sewage Treatment Works
Construction works commenced in November 2020 for completion in 2026. Estimated project cost is about $2.61 billion
To ensure compliance of its sewage treatment service with relevant statutory requirements, the DSD collects and delivers sewage samples for its laboratory tests on a regular basis. The DSD’s laboratories adopt the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and business intelligence software to make sure the effluent quality is up to the discharge standards stipulated by the EPD.
For instance, Sha Tin Central Laboratory has adopted automatic analysers to conduct speedy, accurate and comprehensive tests on the nutrients, trace metal elements and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels of sewage. This laboratory was accredited for testing environmental samples (i.e. samples of water and wastewater) under the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) in 1999 and became the first laboratory in Hong Kong to be granted HOKLAS accreditation for BOD tests using an automatic BOD analyser in 2017. Keeping up with the times, the Sha Tin Central Laboratory completed its quality system’s transition to the latest ISO/IEC 17025:2017 – “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories” through the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) in September 2020.
Currently, Sha Tin Central Laboratory is accredited for conducting up to 32 types of tests. During the year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSD adjusted the work arrangement for its staff accordingly, resulting in a 15% decrease in the total number of analyses conducted by the laboratory. Yet, we managed to complete more than 205,000 analyses. The results of analyses of the quality of effluent discharged from major STWs are available on the DSD’s website and the data.gov.hk portal for public reference.
Polluted dry weather flow discharged into the stormwater drainage system not only affects the water quality of water bodies nearby, but also causes odour. To avoid the nuisance of unpleasant odour to the surrounding environment and residents, we are building an underground DWFI on the shore of New Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter, which is capable of intercepting polluted dry weather flow at Cherry Street box-culvert and transmit to Stonecutters Island STW for pre-treatment before discharge to reduce unpleasant odour. In addition, we are building four DWFIs in Kowloon West and four DWFIs along the Tsuen Wan coast respectively, and conducting modification projects at 39 existing DWFIs in Kowloon West, in a bid to reduce odour and prevent adverse impact on water quality
Photomontage of dry weather flow interceptor at Cherry Street box culvert
The DSD is currently executing construction and improvement works of DWFIs at Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon West and Tsuen Wan respectively. Construction works of the DWFI at Cherry Street box culvert in Tai Kok Tsui commenced in December 2017 for completion in 2022. Estimated project cost is about $660 million. In addition, Phase 1 of upgrading works of West Kowloon and Tsuen Wan sewerage commenced in September 2017. Four DWFIs in Tsuen Wan and two DWFIs in West Kowloon were completed in September 2019 and January 2021 respectively while the modification works of DWFIs in West Kowloon were partially completed. The remaining works are scheduled for completion in mid-2022. Estimated project cost is about $280 million.
The DSD makes every effort to improve the facilities and environment of its sewage pumping stations (SPSs). In particular, we are conducting enhancement works for Kwun Tong SPS to support the local development of East Kowloon district. Items include constructing a new underground sewage balancing facility with a capacity of 16,000 cubic metres and installing ventilation and de-odourisation facilities. The roof of the pumping station will also be renovated into a public landscaped deck to enhance visual appearance of the pumping station and provide an open space of about 11,000 square metres.
Photomontage of the landscaped deck above the Kwun Tong Sewage Pumping Station
Apart from traditional cast in-situ methods, the project is also adopting the Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) method which can increase construction efficiency and shorten the construction period by using pre-assembled components. Construction commenced in December 2017 for completion in end-2022. Estimated project cost is about $1.05 billion.
The sewage rising main between Tung Chung and Siu Ho Wan is the only pipe for conveying sewage in the area. In view of the government’s development plan to expand Hong Kong International Airport and Tung Chung New Town, increase in sewage is expected and it may impose great burden on the sewage rising main. Thus, we are planning to construct a new sewage rising main in stages to cope with the situation. Meanwhile, as the existing sewage rising main is approaching the end of its design lifespan of 25 years, inspection and rehabilitation measures are carried out regularly to ensure that it is capable of handling the projected sewage flow until 2038.
Construction is implemented in two phases and work commenced in August 2016. Total estimated project cost is about $1.36 billion. The first phase includes the construction of a sewage rising main about 6.5 kilometres in length and 1,200 millimetres in diameter, and implementing associated connection and ancillary works. This phase is expected to be completed by 2022. The second phase that involves rehabilitating the existing sewage rising main is scheduled for completion in 2025.
The new sewage rising main
We realise that rural areas of Hong Kong are facing the threat of water pollution. A number of villages in Hong Kong are still relying on septic tanks for sewage treatment today due to lack of public sewerage systems for proper handling of sewage from these rural communities. When not properly maintained, septic tanks may result in sewage being discharged into the stormwater drainage system, polluting surrounding water bodies and destructing the ecosystem. Thus, the DSD has endeavoured to expand its network of public sewerage system by building public sewerage in villages in Sai Kung, Northern District, Kwun Tong, Yuen Long, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O, Tuen Mun and the Outlying Islands to collect and treat sewage from these areas. These works have minimised the pollution problem brought by improper sewage disposal.
Sewer laying at a village
As at March 2021, newly built public sewers were in place in more than 250 villages; works were in progress in around 55 villages; and sewers were under planning and design for about 230 villages. The latter include sewerage construction works for the Outlying Islands District. In the fourth quarter of 2021, DSD will commence two projects to provide sewerage for parts of Lamma Island and Lantau Island to improve sanitary conditions and further reduce the amount of pollutants being discharged into nearby stream courses and marine waters. These two projects are scheduled for completion in 2026 at a total estimated cost of about $0.6 billion.
The DSD manages approximately 4,700 kilometres of drainage system across Hong Kong. Some of the underground pipes have been in service for 30 years on average while over 2,200 kilometres of pipes having been in use for 30 years or longer. Many of them are showing signs of ageing and wear and tear. Seriously deteriorated pipes may result in structural failure, followed by soil erosion and even road subsidence, affecting normal operation of the pipelines and bringing adverse impacts on traffic, environment and public safety.
To prevent environmental and public safety risks caused by deteriorated pipes, the DSD is sparing no effort in the repair and maintenance of pipes. We have launched a territory-wide risk-based rehabilitation programme for aged stormwater drains and sewers, under which surveys and rehabilitation of high-risk underground pipes are being conducted in phases. We will also examine and employ various cutting-edge technologies to efficiently maintain our underground pipe networks and enhance the cost-effectiveness of our works.
Apart from the above works, the DSD is also carrying out rehabilitation works to four sections of trunk sewers totalling 1.7 kilometres in length in Ngau Chi Wan, To Kwa Wan, Sha Tin and Sai Kung respectively, as well as constructing about 0.6 kilometres of additional trunk sewers and undertaking related sewage diversion and manhole rehabilitation works in Sha Tin and Sai Kung. These works aim to enhance the reliability of our sewerage system and reduce the risk of sewer collapse and sewage seepage for the sake of public safety and environmental hygiene.
Rehabilitation works
Sewer manhole rehabilitation works
Trenchless construction of new trunk sewers was completed by using micro-tunnel boring machines. We have rehabilitated 90% of the sewers to date while maintaining the services of the sewerage system. Works commenced in January 2018 and are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2022 at an estimated project cost of approximately $680 million.
We have identified signs of ageing and deterioration in about 4.2 kilometres of existing trunk sewers along Tin Hau Road and Lung Mun Road, Tuen Mun during inspection. That sewer section has been in service for over 40 years. Currently, we are carrying out rehabilitation of the trunk sewers as well as two inverted siphons underneath Tuen Mun River near Tin Hau Road and Tuen Yee Street. We are also constructing about 0.6 kilometres of new trunk sewers. The project aims to reduce the risk of sewage seepage and collapse, enhance public safety and environmental hygiene and improve the operation reliability of the sewerage system.
Deploying robotic machine for lining installation works in existing box culvert with live sewage flow
Rehabilitation works
Adopting trenchless construction technology and using micro tunnel boring machines to lay sewage pipes
The DSD is using trenchless technology to rehabilitate trunk sewers and using micro tunnel boring machines to construct new trunk sewers. Robotic machines are also deployed to carry out lining installation in the existing box culverts with live sewage flow in an innovative way. This approach promotes efficiency and minimises safety risks faced by workers in confined space. The works commenced in December 2018. About 32% of the existing sewers have been rehabilitated and about 90% of the sewers have been constructed. The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2023 at an estimated cost of about $806 million.
Every year, the Government allocates resources to ensure proper treatment of sewage in Hong Kong. The DSD has been implementing the Sewage Services Charging Scheme according to the “Polluter Pays” principle. Under the scheme, the sewage services charges consist of two components, namely, the Sewage Charge (SC) and the Trade Effluent Surcharge (TES). All users whose premises are connected to public sewers are required to pay SC. As for TES, currently 27 identified trades are required to pay this surcharge.
In the year under review, among approximately 3.12 million water utility users in Hong Kong, about 2.89 million are required to pay SC. Among all non-domestic users, about 31,000 are required to pay TES. The box below shows the distribution of trades to which the TES payers belong.
If non-domestic consumers consider that their effluent strength or discharge factor is lower than the corresponding values specified by law, they may apply for a reassessment of the TES rate or discharge factor. The new TES rate determined after the reassessment is valid for three years.
Adhering to the value of “customer orientation”, the DSD is dedicated to providing quality services to the Hong Kong citizens. To timely address public enquiries, apart from setting up a 24-hour hotline, we have also made performance pledges on various areas of our services. During the year, we received a total of 3,913 telephone and written enquiries about our sewage services charges; all written enquiries were formally replied to within a month.
The increasingly challenging climate change issue is closely related to the general public. In order to minimise the risk brought by climate change, the DSD pledges to enhance the sustainability of our drainage projects through putting forward the concept of “Blue-Green Infrastructure”. At the same time, we look for appropriate environmentally-friendly technologies and management measures to reduce the carbon footprint of the DSD’s operations, thus realising sustainable development.
The DSD is dedicated to implementing the concept of “Blue-Green Infrastructure”. The aim is to build drainage systems under the principle of sustainability that promotes accord with nature, adaptability and flexibility. Under this concept, “blue” represents rivers and water bodies and “green” refers to landscape greening. During construction and maintenance of drainage facilities, the DSD always puts effort into greening and revitalise water bodies to promote a water-friendly culture. To cope with climate change and provide a more liveable environment to the public, we actively include elements of infiltration, storage and purification in our facilities for constructing a city that elastically adapts to weather conditions like a sponge.
The 2019 Policy Address proposed the development and practice of the “Rivers in the City” concept by improving river environments and introducing community integration to these waterways so the public could enjoy river facilities and local communities could benefit from more desirable living environments. In response to the policy, the DSD has been putting every effort in promoting multiple river revitalisation projects, allowing rivers to serve not only the function of flood prevention, but also purposes of beautifying the environment, maintaining biodiversity as well as providing leisure space for the public. Meanwhile, the DSD would also consider constructing suitable water body rejuvenation facilities — including artificial flood attenuation lakes and river parks — for planned new development areas to cater to individual development needs. These facilities enable the public to experience and understand the manifold values of rivers, and in turn support environmental protection and public education.
The DSD has been making active efforts to implement river improvement works, including Ho Chung River in Sai Kung. In 2009, we completed improvement works at the river by widening the channel to reduce flood risks of the district, as well as incorporating various ecological conservation features in the project. For instance, holes in river walls, fish ladders and current deflectors were introduced, aiming to provide refuges to wild animals and enhance diversity of river habitats and ecology.
Holes in river walls
Ho Chung River after improvement works
In addition, the DSD completed improvement works at Tai Po Lam Tsuen River in 2012. Upper reaches of Lam Tsuen River are ecologically significant and provide habitats for a number of rare species. In this project, 2.6 kilometres of the river were straightened, deepened and widened to enhance drainage capacity. Meanwhile, conservation measures were introduced to maintain the river’s ecological value. To create natural habitats, gabions that encourage plant growth instead of reinforced concrete were used and more trees were planted. Upon completion of the works, water quality of the river improved and the number of fish, bird and dragonfly species was restored to pre-project levels. It was encouraging that the population of Hong Kong Warty Newt, a rare and native species seen in Lam Tsuen River, has grown as a result.
Fish ladders in Upper Lam Tsuen River
The rare Hong Kong Warty Newt
The DSD completed improvement works at Kai Tak River in 2018. The river is one of East Kowloon’s major drainage channels. Works were mainly concentrated at upstream and midstream river sections, aiming to improve the drainage capacity of Kai Tak River and hence mitigate flooding risks of Choi Hung Road and surrounded areas. Kai Tak River can now withstand heavy rainstorms with a return period of 200 years. We also incorporated different landscaping and ecological elements to transform the 1.1-kilometre section of the nullah into the first urban green river corridor in Hong Kong.
Looking ahead, we will continue to push forward revitalisation works of Tsui Ping River. Please refer to Chapter 4–Core Responsibilities for details.
Kai Tak River
Apart from rivers, the DSD also identifies nullahs with enhancement potential and conducts revitalisation works. Examples include Fo Tan Nullah, Tai Wai Nullah and Jordan Valley Nullah. It is our aim to upgrade ecological value of nullahs and promote water friendliness through improving water qualities and conducting landscaping works.
The DSD has formulated revitalisation schemes for Fo Tan Nullah (from Kwai Tei New Village to Hong Kong Sports Institute), Tai Wai Nullah (from Heung Fan Liu to Man Lai Court), Jordan Valley Nullah (from Shum Wan Shan Pumping Station to Jordan Valley Swimming Pool) and Shek Sheung River, aiming to optimise the use of river spaces and demonstrate the multifunctionality of waterbodies while maintaining the drainage capabilities of these nullahs.
In preparation of revitalisation works for Fo Tan Nullah, the DSD began an investigation study for the nullah section between Kwai Tei New Village and Hong Kong Sports Institute in April 2020. The proposed works include beautification of the existing nullah, provision of dry weather flow intercepting devices to improve the water quality and provision of public amenity areas.
Photomontage of Fo Tan Nullah
Apart from the above, the DSD is currently investigating the possibility of revitalising Tai Wai Nullah. We are aiming for revitalisation works at a river section from Heung Fan Liu to Man Lai Court where different features for ecological enhancement and sustainable drainage measures will be deployed. The feasibility of opening the river to the public for water-friendly activities is also being looked into. The investigation study started in April 2020.
Photomontage of Tai Wai Nullah
In March 2020, works commenced to revitalise Jordan Valley Nullah. The 330-metre nullah leading from Shum Wan Shan Pumping Station to Jordan Valley Swimming Pool is being improved by landscaping and a viewing platform for public recreation above the river will be built. To increase the ecological value of the nullah, a fish ladder will be added to the upper section. The project is scheduled for completion in 2022.
Photomontage of Fish Ladders at Jordan Valley Nullah
The DSD is dedicated to optimising its drainage facilities, thus transforming these facilities into environmentally-friendly public areas for leisure, in the hope of enhancing the public image of drainage facilities and integrating them into the environment and community.
We are committed to greening our sewage treatment facilities in the hope of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing biodiversity and beautifying the environment. We engage qualified contractors to assess the feasibility and safety of greening works. During the year, we conducted roof greening works at two of our pumping stations in Siu Hong, Tuen Mun, and Muk Tai Street, Kai Tak, respectively.
Siu Hong Sewage Pumping Station
Muk Tai Street Sewage Pumping Station
While focusing on greening, the DSD also puts great store by community participation. We deploy multiple channels, such as workshops, to gauge and consider public opinions which are made reference to during future construction plans. In particular, we strive to incorporate community integration features into our facilities in the hope of making good use of space and upgrading our facilities into public areas suitable for public visits and leisure. Landscaped decks, riverside promenades and other leisure facilities will be provided at Kwun Tong SPS and Shek Wu Hui STW.
The DSD organised various public consultation activities jointly with an NGO to gauge stakeholders’ opinions and adopt suitable suggestions in our construction design. Specifically, Kwun Tong SPS is currently undergoing improvement works that involve building a landscaped deck with barrier-free access and children play facilities to provide urban recreational space for the public.
As for the reconstruction works of Shek Wu Hui STW, we are planning to upgrade the existing STW to an effluent polishing plant, which means upgrading its sewage treatment level to tertiary standard. We would also build various co-use spaces, such as bird-watching area, community farming area, ecological garden and riverside promenade, for the public to enjoy the natural scenery along Ng Tung River and Shek Sheung River.
Murals help beautify the environment and bring positive impact on the community culturally, mentally and socially. In recent years, the DSD has cooperated with different organisations to beautify facilities with murals, so as to bring art to daily lives of the general public.
On January 2021, the DSD invited artists from AXE Colours HK to paint a mural for the external wall of Hong Kong Station Central SPS, so as to reshape public perception of sewage treatment facilities and promote conservation. The mural painting depicts native river creatures conserved by DSD, including the Green Cascade Frog and the rare Hong Kong Warty Newt. Animals playing between leaves and travelling amongst aquatic plants have been brought to life in the highly realistic portraits.
Artwork on the walls at Hong Kong Station Central Sewage Pumping Station
The Hong Kong Warty Newt illustrated by artists
Mural Painting at Sham Shui Po No. 1 & 2 Sewage Screening Plant
In October 2020, the DSD was invited to support the "Heart of Cyberpunk" Immersive Fashion Experience in Shum Shui Po, which was jointly organised by the Tourism Commission, the Hong Kong Design Centre and the Hong Kong Comics & Animation Federation. Taka, a Japanese artist, painted a Solarpunk-themed mural on the external wall of Sham Shui Po No. 1 & 2 Sewage Screening Plant to tie in with the unique cyberpunk culture in Sham Shui Po. Through these art pieces, the artist expresses concern on climate change and urban development, and presents a beautiful vision of harmoniously integrating mankind, advanced technology, artificial intelligence and nature.
The DSD strives to consider and introduce water efficient measures in daily operations and various works, including but not limited to reusing water resources. We hope our initiatives can help protect valuable water resources by promoting public awareness for water conservation.
The DSD actively implements water saving designs and measures across our projects and daily operations to protect precious water resources. We have introduced designs such as porous pavements, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, and stormwater storage systems in construction projects to collect and reuse water. Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme (HVUSSS), Kowloon City No. 1 and No. 2 SPSs and Lai Chi Kok Drainage Tunnel are examples of DSD facilities with a water harvesting system.
Taking HVUSSS as an example, we have built a water harvesting and reusing system to collect rainwater, groundwater and sportsground irrigation water for reuse. Since the collected water is not heavily contaminated, only simple disinfection treatment is required to meet the standard for non-potable reused water. The harvested water is suitable for irrigation and toilet flushing. It is also supplied to water tankers of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for street cleaning in Happy Valley and Wan Chai.
The government promulgated the Total Water Management Strategy in 2008, under which an approach of sustainable water resources was introduced. The main thrust is on saving water as well as exploring new water sources to protect existing water resources. To echo with the policy, the DSD pledges to promote the concept of water reclamation and reuse. At our sewage treatment facilities, effluent is treated and purified to become reusable water for daily operations of DSD facilities. We hope to popularise water reuse as a means to reduce sewage discharge and scale down demand for freshwater to promote environmental sustainability.
Currently, the DSD has 6 STWs equipped with water reclamation and reuse facilities, which can produce more than 1,600 cubic metres of reclaimed and recycled water per day for toilet flushing and other non-potable uses. These STWs are located in Heung Yuen Wai, Ngong Ping, Pillar Point, San Wai, Sha Tin and Tai Po respectively.
Apart from the above STWs, the DSD is also conducting an improvement work at Shek Wu Hui STW to upgrade the facility into Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant. Sewage will undergo tertiary treatment and then transferred to the Water Supplies Department for further treatment to serve as reclaimed water for non-potable uses in the North East New Territories, including Fanling and Sheung Shui.
Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works
Managed by the DSD, Ngong Ping STW is one of the facilities with reclaimed water production capacity. It can supply safe and odourless reclaimed water for toilet flushing at Ngong Ping public toilets and Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal toilets, as well as for fish rearing and irrigation inside the plant. Commencing operation in 2006, this STW is the first tertiary sewage treatment plant in Hong Kong.
Rearing ornamental fish in reclaimed water
Another water reclamation facility managed by the DSD is located at Sha Tin STW. It consists of three filtration parts, namely, disc filters, ultra-filtration membranes and reverse osmosis membranes, which are capable of generating 650 cubic metres of reclaimed water per day for plant cleaning, irrigation, toilet flushing and chemical dilution.
Water reclamation facility at Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works
As climate change poses increasingly serious threats, the DSD is duty bound to alleviate climate change impacts for the sake of our environment. The DSD is a member of the Government’s Inter-departmental Climate Change Working Group. We work in concert with other government departments to conduct assessment on existing infrastructure and improve the standards of infrastructure design for greater resilience. To ensure that Hong Kong’s resilience to climate change is up to international standard, we examine various measures implemented in other regions to combat this pressing issue. The DSD is a member of Connecting Delta Cities under the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, as well as the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change. We maintain close communication with other members and exchange ideas to understand their flood prevention techniques and other measures to combat climate change.
Set in 2019, the Government’s new “Green Energy Target”, aimed to cut its overall use of fossil energy from 2020-21 to 2024-25 by 6%. To achieve this target, DSD has been making increasing use of renewable energy (RE) generated from solar power, hydropower and biogas in place of traditional fossil energy. Through implementing a series of RE projects and energy saving initiatives, we hope to reduce our use of fossil energy by no less than 6.6% by 2024-25, as compared to 2018-19.
The DSD has been progressively implementing RE systems at its facilities to generate electricity and heat energy for in-house consumption. In recent years, RE installations in DSD plants have generated energy equivalent to over 27 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, meeting about 9% of our annual energy demand. The DSD has obtained funding of $539 million from 2017-18 to 2020-21 for implementing 25 RE projects of various kinds. Some of them have been completed while the remaining ones will be completed progressively in the next few years. Upon full completion of these projects, additional renewable energy equivalent to about 17.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity can be generated per annum.
1Calculated based on the average monthly household electricity consumption of about 400 kilowatt-hours in Hong Kong as stated in the “Energy Saving Plan”.
2Calculated based on a territory-wide default value (0.70 kilogram CO₂e/kilowatt-hours).
As at the end of March 2021, the DSD has installed photovoltaic (PV) panels at its 28 facilities, including 14 STWs, 13 SPSs and 1 stormwater storage facility, to harness solar power. In particular, the solar system at Siu Ho Wan STW is currently the largest government installation of its kind. It can generate up to 1.1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. During the year, the DSD’s PV systems generated about 1.45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in total.
The DSD is currently exploring the possibility of installing PV systems in more facilities, including the maximising utilisation of space, such as sedimentation tank covers, in Stonecutters Island STW for phased installation of flexible thin-film PV panels. After completion of the project, Stonecutters Island STW is expected to become the largest of its kind in Hong Kong, with a total installed generation capacity of over 1 megawatt. Besides, it is envisaged that after completion of all PV projects in 2024-25, the total installed generation capacity of DSD’s PV systems will exceed 3 megawatts. We are also identifying suitable locations at our premises, such as pavements, for installing more steppable PV panels.
Solar Farm at Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works
Steppable PV panels in Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works
Flexible thin-film PV system on curved sedimentation tank covers in Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works
Hydroelectric power system installation is another major initiative on implementation of RE projects in the DSD. To align with HATS Stage 2A implemented by the Government, we installed a hydro-turbine system at Stonecutters Island STW, utilising hydraulic energy from the flow of treated sewage effluent to drive the turbine and generate electricity for in-house use. With a design generating capacity of 23 kilowatts, the system can generate up to 120,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per annum. Encouraged by the remarkable results of this project, we are currently installing the second unit of hydro-turbine system at Stonecutters Island STW. The installation is anticipated to be completed by late 2021. We also have plans to install more hydro-turbine systems at the plant by phases.
Hydro-turbine system at Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works
Sewage treatment processes in STWs generate sludge, and biogas is produced when the sludge undergoes anaerobic digestion for sludge stabilisation. The DSD has installed a total of seven biogas-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) generators and three gas turbines in its STWs for electricity and heat generation as well as refrigerative purpose. During the year, the total renewable energy generated by biogas amounted to about 25.8 million kilowatt-hours. To enhance utilisation of biogas, the DSD is installing an additional 1.4-megawatt CHP generator system at Sha Tin STW. When the system comes into operation in 2022, the total installed generation capacity of the CHP generating systems in the DSD will reach 6.8 megawatts. To further utilise renewable energy, we are planning to install another type of generating system in Tai Po STW and Sha Tin STW to capture the waste heat of CHP generators for electricity generation.
High voltage combined heat and power generator at Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works
Combined heat and power generating system commissioned at Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works in early 2021
The DSD has been collaborating with the EPD to implement Food Waste/ Sewage Sludge Anaerobic Co-digestion initiative. The first Food Waste/ Sewage Sludge Anaerobic Co-digestion Trial Scheme, jointly administered by the DSD and EPD at the Tai Po STW, commenced operation in 2019. Apart from increasing the biogas yield and reducing the amount of digestate and carbon emissions from the STW, the trial scheme also enhances Hong Kong’s food waste handling capacity. Under the trial scheme, the DSD is responsible for receiving the commercial and industrial food waste delivered by the EPD for anaerobic co-digestion with the sewage sludge as well as utilising the biogas produced during the co-digestion process to generate electricity and heat for use within the STW. The trial scheme can treat up to 50 tonnes of food waste every day. The estimated additional energy that could be generated is equivalent to about 0.95 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. The second trial project will take place at Sha Tin STW, in which treatment of food waste from commercial and industrial as well as domestic sources will be tested. Similar to the pilot trial at Tai Po STW, the Sha Tin STW trial project is planned for a treatment capacity of up to 50 tonnes of food waste per day. The DSD-led co-digestion related works are scheduled for completion by end 2022.
With a view to reducing overall carbon footprint, the DSD actively introduces various energy saving measures and optimises the operation of its sewage and flood prevention facilities. These measures include:
3 Calculated based on a territory-wide default value (0.70 kilogram CO2e/kilowatt-hours).
To further reduce our carbon footprint, we ought to understand our own carbon emissions thoroughly in order to identify and implement targeted measures to save energy and hence reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effective way. We are currently conducting carbon audit for our facilities through scientific analysis and assessment, so as to identify major emission sources and establish appropriate energy saving and emission reduction measures. During the year, the DSD conducted carbon audit in seven of its STWs at Stonecutters Island, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Shek Wu Hui, Pillar Point, Siu Ho Wan and Stanley. We will continue to conduct carbon audit to look for and implement appropriate carbon reduction measures, such as reducing the energy consumption of appliances, increasing operational efficiency and adopting renewable energy.
The DSD is doing its best to advocate the concept of green operations to its employees through a number of environmentally friendly measures in the offices, hoping to achieve a “green office”.
The DSD pledges to put forward the principle of “green office”. As such, we have introduced a number of environmentally friendly measures at our offices, including setting up a multitude of collection points to collect and recycle used items, including plastic and metal containers, toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries and waste paper. We conduct regular office inspections to promote environmental consciousness among employees. To support the government initiative to minimise the use of disposable plastic tableware, we remind colleagues to use reusable tableware for meetings and official events and develop a habit of bringing their own tableware.
Supported by technology advancement, the DSD has been actively promoting the concept of “paperless office”. We have issued guidelines on reducing paper consumption and green information, while encouraging colleagues to adopt double-sided printing and reuse one-sided paper and envelopes. We also promote “paperless meetings” by encouraging staff to use electronic devices, including laptop computers and tablets, for presentations and discussions to reduce paper. This year, we held a total of 148 paperless meetings and circulated 1,181 meeting documents electronically. Moreover, the DSD has been promoting e-fax since mid-2017 and now owns a total of 142 e-fax numbers. As from 2018, all administration divisions under the DSD have switched to e-fax for receipt and dispatch of documents. Benefited by all the above paper-saving measures, the DSD’s paper consumption has seen gradual decrease, with a total paper consumption of 9,555 reams4 during the reporting year, down about 32% compared to 2009-10.
4Excluding paper used in tender/quotation exercises for new contracts/projects.
We have also introduced energy saving measures in our offices to enhance staff awareness for energy saving, such as setting the temperature of air-conditioning at 25.5°C, reducing non-essential lighting and using timers to switch off office equipment after office hours. These initiatives are in line with the “Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2030+” proposed by the Government in 2017 to step up promotion of green buildings and reduce electricity consumption of government buildings.
Apart from implementing energy saving and emission reduction measures in daily operations, the DSD is also actively participating in various green activities to make contributions to environmental protection. For example, we have supported Earth Hour initiated by WWF (HK) together with other governmental organisations. Nonessential lighting and electrical appliances in the DSD offices and facilities were switched off for one hour from 8:30pm on 27 March 2021.
To echo with the green procurement policy of the Government, we take environmental factors into account during the procurement process. For instance, we adopt the EPD’s list of Green Procurement Items. During the year, we procured energy-saving electrical appliances (e.g. computers, electric fans, photocopiers, printers and refrigerators) and green office consumables (e.g. correction tapes, garbage bags, pencils, rechargeable batteries, recycled paper and toilet paper). Furthermore, we use electric vehicles as much as possible during construction works to promote low carbon living in Hong Kong.
To foster a sustainable development and environment-friendly culture, a group of the DSD colleagues formed the Green Champions. Through proposing green initiatives to the Green Management Committee and organising a number of green activities, such as green farming competition and shoreline clean-up, they raise the environmental awareness of all employees and promote the green lifestyle.
The DSD has always advocated greening by encouraging our staff to make full use of the space at our facilities for farming. We organise the Green Farming Competition and invite our staff and their families to experience the pleasures of green living.
Green Farming Competition
Green Farming Competition
The DSD, Highways Department and the Architectural Services Department participated in the Construction Industry Shoreline Clean-up Day
The DSD has always recognised that our staff is a valuable asset. We provide plenty of training and development opportunities, allowing colleagues to improve themselves by continuous learning and realise their fullest potential. At the same time, we provide adequate occupational health and safety protection to promote physical and mental wellbeing of our staff. We also organise a multitude of staff activities, including lucky draw, interest classes and recreational activities, so our colleagues can relax after work and maintain work-life balance.
The DSD provides a wide range of regular and unscheduled training activities for its workforce, including but not limited to in-house training courses, seminars, workshops and exchange sessions, which aim to enhance professional knowledge and skills while keeping abreast with the latest industry trends to pursue excellence. In view of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have moved certain training activities online to protect the safety of our staff. During the year, we organised a total of 331 training courses. Average number of training hours per capita was 18 hours.
During the year, the DSD organised different in-house training programmes for members of our management and staff, communicating our policies, daily operations and latest development in detail so they could join hands with the DSD to drive mutual development. These training programmes covered various topics, such as sewage treatment technologies and riverside city.
ENGINEER Talk
In order to enhance the DSD’s technological strengths and ensure Hong Kong meets international standards on the technology front, we encourage our staff to participate in international exchange sessions to communicate with overseas experts. In July 2020, our colleagues participated in the online 10th Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics under the auspices of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), co-organised by IHE Delft, Delft University of Technology, Deltares and Rijkswaterstaat in the Netherlands. Through case sharing from foreign experts, our colleagues gained deeper insight into subjects like river engineering and fluid mechanics.
The DSD has always attached great importance to the health and safety of our employees. To this end, we have established a comprehensive safety management system and our Safety Policy, and at the same time require related stakeholders to comply with applicable laws and regulations, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance of Hong Kong. We strive to minimise occupational safety and health (OSH) risks of our employees, project consultants and contractors. To enhance health and safety awareness, we provide training courses and activities that cover different OSH aspects from time to time. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSD also provided appropriate personal protective equipment to frontline staff and adopted various protective measures to ensure their health and safety.
The DSD has a sound safety management system in place to control OSH risks. With a view to manage related risks more effectively, we have set up a number of committees to manage, identify and cope with material OSH risks, including the Safety Steering Group, the Electrical and Mechanical Branch Safety Management Committee, the Sewage Treatment Works Safety Management Committee and the Direct Labour Force Safety Management Committee. To encourage worker participation, consultation, and communication on OSH issues, these committees are made up of members from different disciplines and grades, such that we can understand the needs and risks of different departments and address them accordingly. If any safety-related risks have come to their attention, workers are welcome to report to us for timely investigation and action to strengthen safety management.
Take the DSD projects as an example, we understand that the risk of work-related injuries is present in construction works and therefore a Safety Policy has been drawn up in line with the principle of “prevention first” of the hierarchy of controls. Preventive and response measures are implemented before, during and after the projects to minimise safety risks to guarantee the personal safety of our employees. Before a project begins, we engage a recognised organisation to assess the potential safety hazards, as well as arrange qualified personnel to follow up and monitor the risks according to government guidelines. We would implement relevant response measures during work to reduce these hazards as far as possible and avoid potential safety incidents. We also conduct frequent inspections to ensure the measures are in place, and provide adequate personal protective equipment to all employees. In the unfortunate event of safety incidents during construction works, the personnel involved may immediately remove themselves from work situations that they consider present an imminent and serious danger to their life or health, without any disciplinary actions. After reporting and investigating the incidents according to standard procedures, we will introduce improvement measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.
The DSD staff | |
---|---|
Work-related injuries (including fall of person from height, striking against stationary object) | |
No. of cases | 2 |
Rate (per 200,000 man-hours) | 0.06 |
High-consequence work-related injuries1 | |
No. of cases | 0 |
Rate (per 200,000 man-hours) | 0 |
Construction and maintenance works undertaken by the DSD contractors | |
Work-related injuries (including slip, trip or fall on the same level, struck by moving or falling object) | |
No. of cases | 8 |
Rate (per 200,000 man-hours) | 0.18 |
High-consequence work-related injuries1 (including struck by moving or falling object) | |
No. of cases | 5 |
Rate (per 200,000 man-hours) | 0.12 |
1High-consequence work-related injury refers to a work-related injury that results in fatality or an injury where the worker cannot, does not, or is not expected to recover fully to pre-injury health status within six months. High-consequence work-related injuries recorded during the reporting year were mainly resulted from physical safety hazards.
To enhance the OSH awareness of employees to prevent serious safety incidents, we arrange various training courses for colleagues from time to time, equipping them with knowledge in occupational safety to prevent safety hazards. During the year, we organised 28 types of OSH training courses for over 1,700 colleagues, including:
Item | Course Title | Number of Participants |
---|---|---|
1 | Truck mounted Crane Operator Certification Course | 4 |
2 | Electrical Safety | 129 |
3 | Training Course for New Operators of Fork-lift Truck | 12 |
4 | Training Course for Experienced Operators of Fork-lift Truck | 1 |
5 | Shipboard Cargo Handling Basic Training Course | 5 |
6 | Safety Training Revalidation Course for Certified Workers of Confined Spaces Operation | 141 |
7 | Safety Training Revalidation Course for Certified Workers and Competent Persons of Confined Spaces Operation | 92 |
8 | Safety Training Course for Certified Workers of Confined Spaces Operation | 73 |
9 | Safety Training Course for Certified Workers & Competent Persons of Confined Spaces Operation | 185 |
10 | Safe Working Cycle | 23 |
11 | Safe Use of Mobile Aluminum Towers | 3 |
12 | Safe Use of Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear | 3 |
13 | Safe Use of Abrasive Wheels | 19 |
14 | Safe Handling of Chemicals | 38 |
15 | Pneumoconiosis and its Prevention | 7 |
16 | Revalidation Training Course for Operators of Fork-lift Truck | 21 |
17 | Occupational Safety and Health Supervisor Course | 9 |
18 | Gas Welding Safety Training Revalidation Course | 17 |
19 | Gas Welding Safety Training Course | 19 |
20 | Gantry Crane Certification Training and Test (Revalidation) | 25 |
21 | Gantry Crane Certification Training and Test | 12 |
22 | Dog Bite Safety | 9 |
23 | Confined Space Safety Training Course for Competent Persons Engaged in the DSD's Works | 206 |
24 | Confined Space Safety Training Course for Certified Workers Engaged in the DSD's Works | 266 |
25 | Certificate of Competence in Workplace Noise Assessment | 3 |
26 | Certificate of Competence in Display Screen Equipment Assessment | 10 |
27 | Mandatory Basic Safety Training Course (Construction Work) [Green Card Training Course] | 146 |
28 | Mandatory Basic Safety Training Revalidation Course (Construction Work) [Green Card Training Revalidation Course] | 308 |
Apart from the above training, the DSD also organises OSH-related activities from time to time, ranging from visits, briefings, video productions to sharing sessions, as effective channels to communicate with frontline staff. We share the latest updates of OSH knowledge and gauge frontline staff’s views on OSH measures we have implemented so that we can improve OSH management on a continual basis. Also, following the Development Bureau’s Construction Site Safety Manual, the site safety committees of all our construction projects organise monthly meetings.
Visiting Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works to communicate with frontline colleagues
During the year, OSH campaigns we initiated and participated in include:
27th Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony
Group photo of Ms Alice PANG (third left), Director of Drainage Services, and the team of “Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns – Site Preparation and Access Tunnel Construction”, who won both the “CSSA” and “OEMPA” Gold Awards in the 27th Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme
Apart from stringent safety management, the DSD is also putting great emphasis on employees’ physical and mental wellbeing. We are one of the signatory organisations of the Department of Health’s Mental Health Workplace Charter, as well as a “Mental Health Friendly Organisation” in 2020-2022. We arrange stress management workshops for our employees every year to share tips on relieving stress, so as to improve their mental health.
Under the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to maintain our pledge of providing professional and efficient drainage services to the public, while ensuring the health and safety of our staff, especially frontline staff who are required to deal with sewage and communicate with the public. In addition to our management giving active response to the government’s appeal and encouraging colleagues to get vaccinated, we have also been providing disease prevention guidelines to staff during the pandemic, reminding everyone to pay attention to personal hygiene and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
To prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and to safeguard public health, we purchased adequate protective equipment for our employees, including different kinds of masks and hand sanitisers. Moreover, we enhanced personal protective equipment for our frontline staff, such as providing sewage samplers with appropriate equipment such as masks, face shields and gloves to minimise their risk of contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
In addition, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, we upheld our service pledge to the general public and responded to the government’s call to stay home and maintain social distancing by implementing special work arrangements and instructing our staff to work in rotating shifts, so as to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.
The DSD provides adequate personal protective equipment to frontline staff
The DSD continues to organise a wide range of recreational activities for our staff to unwind and enjoy leisure. They can also take the opportunity to get together to strengthen team spirit and sense of belonging towards the DSD.
In view of the spread of COVID-19, we reduced the frequency of physical activities, including our Christmas Party, to guarantee the safety of our staff. However, to keep the festive spirit alive and show gratitude to our employees for their effort and contribution to delivering on the DSD’s mission, we arranged a special live streaming lucky draw for Christmas. Around 200 attractive prizes mainly donated by our directorates were offered. It was truly a joyful and memorable event for all.
Ms Alice PANG, Director of Drainage Services, gave a welcoming speech at the staff event
Mr Wilson PANG Wai-shing, the then Deputy Director of Drainage Services, was invited to draw the lucky winners
In addition, we arranged various activities and classes during the year. These include online cooking classes, a 3D Light and Shadow Paper Carving Lamp Workshop and a Christmas Tree Workshop that brought pleasure to employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online Dessert Class
Online 3D Light and Shadow Paper Carving Lamp Workshop
Christmas Tree Workshop
Apart from cultural activities, the DSD also arranges and participates in various sports events to encourage our colleagues to exercise regularly to stay healthy. During the year, the DSD Staff Club organised practice groups for badminton and tennis and gave full support to online sport competitions. Our Senior Technical Officer, Ms Lyann WONG Yim-ping, was the 1st runner-up in the Construction Industry Women 10k Master Race under Construction Industry Virtual Happy Run 2021, which was held from 11 February 2021 to 12 March 2021.
Ms Lyann WONG Yim-ping (right), Senior Technical Officer of DSD, won a prize in Construction Industry Virtual Happy Run 2021
Stakeholders are undoubtedly the DSD’s core pillars in promoting sustainability. The DSD is dedicated to maintaining frequent and close mutual communication with our stakeholders by collecting their opinions through a number of official and unofficial channels. We believe that stakeholders’ valuable opinions would allow us to improve our daily operations and management continuously. We are also taking advantage of these communication channels to keep stakeholders updated on the progress of our projects and the green elements we have incorporated therein, so as to enhance public awareness for ecological conservation and promote a water-friendly culture and social inclusion. In addition, joining hands with our employees to do good for society, we organise and participate in various voluntary services and charity activities from to time.
During the reporting year, we organised at least one event through each of the communication channels with our stakeholders1, the channels are listed below2 :
Staff | Suppliers | Consultants and Contractors | Academia/ Professional Bodies |
---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Green Groups | Public | Councillors | Other Government Departments |
|
|
|
|
1The number of activities subject to the actual circumstances.
2102-40, 102-43
To facilitate public engagement and promote the integration between drainage facilities and surrounding communities, the DSD has organised a multitude of activities, including exhibitions and educational programmes. Through various public participation activities, members of the public can keep abreast of the DSD’s latest news and better understand our services.
Taking the relocation works of Shatin STW to Caverns as an example, we keep the public updated on the construction progress through the project website, a social media page, leaflets and quarterly newsletters. The Project Team also set up a Community Liaison Centre (CLC) adjacent to Mui Tsz Lam Road to introduce the concept of green construction, sustainable development and innovative technology application to the public. A naming competition for the CLC was organised to strengthen connection between the CLC and the community. To better serve the community and encourage interactions, we plan to make the CLC meeting room available for free booking from organisations to host various activities.
Community Liaison Centre adjacent to Mui Tsz Lam Road
The Community Liaison Centre rock stele based on a winning design of the naming competition
Scan the QR code for CLC bookings https://ststwincavernsclc.web.app/venue
The Project Team has been closely communicating with the Sha Tin Rural Committee and the Sha Tin District Council to collect and respond to opinions from residents in the neighbourhood in a timely manner, with a view to minimising impacts to residents during construction.
Briefing sessions were also arranged for the representatives of nearby schools, residential estates and organisations, through which the Project Team explained arrangements of blasting works to the public to ease their concerns.
Briefing session with nearby schools about blasting works arrangement
During the reporting year, the Project Team also held and co-organised various community activities:
On 17 October 2020, the Project Team held the third Community Liaison Group Meeting at the CLC, which was attended by representatives from the Sha Tin District Council, local residents of Sha Tin District and other relevant stakeholders. The aim of meeting was to collect their valuable opinions, update project progress and construction works arrangements, as well as introduce the newly completed CLC to the public.
The Project Team briefed stakeholders on project progress
Acknowledging the importance of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we cooperated with the HKIE Geotechnical Division to co-organise the institution’s first virtual site visit on 31 October 2020 by an online video conferencing. Nearly 500 participants joined the guided tour to our project site and had fruitful experience and exchanges with us.
On 4 February 2021, the Development Bureau arranged a group of engineering graduates to visit our project site where they received site safety inspection training. During the session, engineering graduates learned about actual site problems often encountered during construction and how to effectively reduce safety risks at construction sites. It enriched their practical experience.
Site Safety Inspection Training for Engineering Graduates
Upon completion of Kai Tak River improvement works, we have set up a trail along the river in Wong Tai Sin district. The 1-km trail starts at Shatin Pass Road and ends at Prince Edward Road East along the riverbank of Kai Tak River. It takes around 15 minutes to complete the trail and visitors can understand the history and drainage improvement works of Kai Tak River along the way. The DSD has set up information panels in 10 different locations of the trail to provide information on the history, improvement works and ecological aspects of Kai Tak River, enabling the public to learn more about the river while enjoying its scenery after the greening and revitalisation works.
Information panel along Kai Tak River Trail
Scan the QR code to browse the trail website https://www.dsd.gov.hk/others/KTR/en/index.html
The government has been promoting “Science in the Public Service”, mobilising multiple governmental departments and other organisations to showcase their scientific efforts to the general public. Resonating with this year’s theme of “Science in Everyday Life”, we delivered a keynote lecture on 22 August 2020 through online broadcast to present the latest development of the DSD in harnessing renewable energy, including the technologies adopted and their effectiveness, as well as the challenges involved.
Our Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Mr HO Kwok-kei, introduced the latest development of the DSD in harnessing renewable energy in a keynote lecture
The DSD participated in the Eco Asia Conference organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on 19 November 2020. In the Conference, our Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Mr HO Kwok-kei, introduced the implementation and progress of the food waste and sewage sludge co-digestion pilot trial in the section of “Latest Development of Government Projects”. The conference was part of Eco Expo Asia 2020 and aimed to provide opportunities for participants to understand more about various environmentally friendly government projects.
Mr HO Kwok-kei introduced the food waste and sewage sludge co-digestion pilot trial scheme in the Conference
The DSD was represented at the Build4Asia Conference on 20 November 2020. Themed "Engineering Innovations in Smart and Green Cities", the Conference invited various guest speakers from the HKSAR government, local engineering and building companies and associations to share their insights. The participants exchanged their experience in technology through discussions, exploring innovative ways to achieve social cohesion, economic vibrancy and environmental sustainability.
DSD Senior Engineer, Mr Eddie MA, shared his experience in "Innovative Way to Harvest More Renewable Energy in Sewage Treatment" during the Conference
The DSD participated in the InnoCarnival 2020 organised by Innovation and Technology Comminssion from 23 to 31 December 2020. The online carnival included a series of online exhibitions, workshops and talks. In line with the event theme of “Collaborate • Innovate • Beyond Imagination”, the DSD adopted the construction project “Inter-Reservoirs Transfer Scheme” as the highlight. Through an online exhibition and animation, we introduced the progress and innovative ideas of the project, as well as its dual purposes of flood prevention and water preservation.
Animation Scene of the Inter-Reservoirs Transfer Scheme
It is our practice to organise guided tours for the public to visit our facilities so they can better understand the DSD’s services and daily operations. In view of the Government’s implementation of social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, we not only offered online tours of the DSD’s facilities via our website, but also co-organised Encounter with Rivers – Yuen Long Bypass Floodway Public Guided Tour with local green group Green Power. Members of the public could join the tour virtually or in person to explore the operations of our facilities anytime and anywhere. During the year, group tours to DSD facilities, such as Stanley STW and Lai Chi Kok Drainage Tunnel, were arranged.
Stanley Sewage Treatment Works 360-degree Virtual Tour
Encounter with Rivers – Yuen Long Bypass Floodway Public Guided Tour
Along the supply chain of the DSD, we mainly engage consultants and contractors that provide consultancy services, carry out construction works and provide construction materials on a work contract basis. The DSD is actively building close and trusted partnership with working partners for mutual benefits. We are gradually promoting partnership using the New Engineering Contract (NEC) model to encourage active participation of working partners and enhance project efficiency. At the same time, the DSD is also dedicated to implementing stringent OSH measures to guarantee the safety of our working partners.
As compared with traditional engineering contracts, the NEC model puts emphasis on the responsibility born by our working partners. The model stresses collaboration between the DSD and our working partners to jointly enhance construction management and hence improve project effectiveness to minimise the negative impact of project delays. Currently, the DSD has completed 33 NECs, covering civil engineering projects, electrical and mechanical engineering projects, maintenance works and consultancy services, etc. In particular, the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme which adopted the new NEC model was completed 14 months ahead of schedule, saving approximately $110 million of project cost ultimately.
121 |
---|
NECs awarded by the DSD since 2009 |
30 |
NECs awarded in the year under review |
During the year, the DSD received three NEC Awards from the United Kingdom’s NEC User’s Group. In particular, the “Construction of Dry Weather Flow Interceptor at Cherry Street Box Culvert” and “Expansion of Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works Phase 1 and Village Sewerage in Tong To” won the NEC Water Contract of the Year 2020 and “Highly Commended 1” prize of the same group respectively, while the “Expansion of Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works Phase 1 and Village Sewerage in Tong To” project won the “Highly Commended #1” of NEC Contract Innovation Award 2020 on the strength of its pilot initiatives, including the digital works supervision system. This is the second time that the DSD was accredited after receiving the award of Client of the Year in 2019.
DSD was recognised for its efforts towards promoting NEC
To realise the team spirit of the NEC model, the DSD conducts partnering workshops with managerial personnel and frontline staff of our main contractors from time to time. On these occasions, we share problems faced and views on works projects, and at the same time set common goals to reduce project disruption, facilitate exchange of information and better communication, fast-track project progress and improve quality control, enhance site management efficiency, as well as overcome engineering challenges collaboratively. We hope these workshops would help both the DSD and our contractors to understand the importance of leveraging each other’s strengths, pursuing innovation and balancing the views of all parties.
Group photo of Partnering Workshop participants under Revitalisation Works of Jordan Valley Nullah and Minor Drainage and Sewerage Works in Urban Area and the New Territories
Participants setting common objectives at the Workshop
The DSD also puts great store by the health and safety of working partners. Through introducing a number of site safety improvement measures and activities, including experience sharing sessions and the Construction Sites Safety and Housekeeping Award Scheme, we guarantee the OSH of our staff and working partners.
In October 2020, we organised an OSH seminar related to sewage treatment for more than 20 colleagues from different divisions of the DSD. Lecture was delivered by a safety specialist from the Occupational Safety & Health Council to enhance safety awareness.
Our colleagues attending an OSH seminar
Apart from the safety of staff and working partners, we also value environmental safety. The DSD has been hosting the annual “Construction Sites Housekeeping Award Scheme” since 2004 with the aim of instilling a culture of good construction site management and team spirit among the DSD’s in-house site supervisory staff, contractors and consultants. In 2018, the Scheme was renamed “Construction Sites Safety and Housekeeping Award Scheme”, recognising teams with outstanding site management performance. Among the 43 contract teams participating in the 2020 Scheme, 13 received either “The Best Construction Sites Safety and Housekeeping Award” or the “Meritorious Award”.
The DSD recognises the importance of social inclusion, and as a result maintains close contact with districts where we implement our projects by attending District Council (DC) meetings regularly to listen to the needs of local residents and give timely and appropriate responses. During the year, the Director of Drainage Services attended meetings of the Islands DC, Sai Kung DC, Tuen Mun DC and Wan Chai DC. Apart from listening to local needs, we also presented current projects in these districts so the District Councillors could have more comprehensive knowledge of the same.
On 3 November 2020, Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah (second left), the then Director of Drainage Services, attended the Sai Kung DC meeting
Ms Alice PANG (left), Director of Drainage Services, communicated with Wan Chai DC members during their visit to Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank
To promote environmental sustainability, the DSD makes active efforts to maintain amicable relationships with local green organisations and exchange views on conservation and environmental protection issues. During the year, we arranged two meetings to communicate with local green groups, including Conservancy Association, Designing Hong Kong, Green Power, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden and World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong. At these meetings, we discussed topics such as enhancing ecological value of rivers, preserving habitats in existing rivers, revitalising water bodies, promoting biodiversity, fostering a water-friendly culture and addressing environmental issues related to drainage projects.
On 8 May 2020, DSD representatives arranged a meeting with green group members to exchange views on proposed drainage improvement works in Ta Kwu Ling
DSD representatives visited the site of proposed drainage facilities at Yuen Long Nullah with green group members
The DSD has always maintained close communication with the media. Through multiple channels, such as programmes, interviews and briefings, we enable the public to understand our efforts towards introducing innovative technologies, water purification and flood prevention, as well as blue-green drainage infrastructure, so as to consolidate our professional image and enhance the transparency of our works.
23 November 2021
Ms Alice PANG, Director of Drainage Services, introduced the DSD’s development direction
On 23 November 2020, invited by the HKIE, the Director of Drainage Services, Ms Alice PANG, gave an interview to the Hong Kong Economic Times to share her memories in various works departments and the development direction of the DSD’s future works projects. The exclusive interview was published on 30 November 2020.
25 March 2021
Ms Alice PANG, Director of Drainage Services, introduced the DSD’s new measures on flood prevention
Ms Alice PANG, Director of Drainage Services, briefed the media on the progress of the Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns
The DSD invited the media to attend our annual briefing, introducing our new measures on flood prevention in our facilities and led reporters on a tour of the site of Relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to Caverns.
28 May 2020
The then Engineer Ms Priscilla YUEN Pui-shan (right) and Engineer Mr Fei-kit CHEUNG (left) talked about the underground stormwater storage schemes under planning
Engineer Mr Fei-kit CHEUNG explained how the DSD responded to challenges brought by extreme weather and introduced the six proposed underground stormwater storage schemes (USSS) to reporters from Apple Daily, Ming Pao, Ta Kung Pao and HK01. The then Engineer, Ms Priscilla YUEN Pui-shan, introduced the project background and early design concept of Shek Kip Mei USSS at Skep Kip Mei Park. The news article was published on 2 June 2020.
23 June 2020
Engineer, Mr Raymond IP Ho-pang presented the assemble process of the tunnel boring machine
On 23 June 2020, our Engineer, Mr Raymond IP Ho-pang met reporters of Apple Daily, HK01, Ming Pao, Oriental Daily, Sing Tao Daily and Ta Kung Pao and presented the Inter-Reservoirs Transfer Scheme, including its flood prevention function and effectiveness, and explained the benefits of using a tunnel boring machine to build the water tunnel. The article was published on 26 June 2020.
11 June 2020
Chief Engineer, Mr Edwin LAU Shing-cheong, explained measures to respond to extreme weather
Chief Engineer Mr Edwin LAU Shing-cheong gave an exclusive interview to Ming Pao to share a series of short- and long-term flood prevention measures implemented by the DSD, including the construction of additional underground stormwater storage tanks, revitalising river and carrying out “just-in-time clearance”, etc., to showcase our actions in combating escalating climate change impacts. The interview was published on 14 June 2020.
7 July 2020
Engineer Mr Alex LAU Yiu-man (left) introduced Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank to the reporter
Our Senior Engineer Mr Richard LEUNG Wah-ming gave an interview to CNN to introduce the DSD’s flood prevention strategies. On the same day, Engineer Mr Alex LAU Yiu-man took the reporter to Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank and Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel to give an on-site brief about their design and operation. The report was published on 26 July 2020.
19 November 2020
Project team was interviewed and filmed at Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works
The then Senior Engineer, Mr LAU Wing-wah, and Engineer, Ms Konica CHEUNG Wing-yan, gave an interview to the Hong Kong Economic Times online platform. They shared how the DSD applied “Design Thinking” in the planning of Shek Wu Hui Effluent Polishing Plant project and integrated feedback of different stakeholders into the design to realise the “people-oriented” design concept.
30 June 2020
Engineer Mr Colin IP Lam (right) explained how the new remote-controlled desilting robot operates
Engineer Mr Colin IP Lam of the DSD gave an interview to TVB’s programme “Innovation GPS” on 30 June 2020. He presented various features of the new remote-controlled desilting robot and how it could enhance efficiency and work safety. The programme was broadcast on 30 September 2020.
12 August 2020
Senior Engineer Mr Tommy WONG Tak-shing introduced the operation of Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Tank
Senior Engineer Mr Tommy WONG Tak-shing presented the design and operation of the Village Flood Protection Schemes at the Pok Wai stormwater storage pond
Senior Engineer Mr Tommy WONG Tak-shing attended a Radio and Television Hong Kong (RTHK) programme, Environment and Health, on 12 August 2020. In the programme, Mr WONG explained how the DSD used different ways to respond to climate change and design flood prevention facilities in urban and rural areas. He communicated that apart from taking flood prevention capacity into consideration, the DSD also valued natural environment and conservancy, as well as the application of new technologies to reduce electricity consumption. The programme was broadcast on 24 October 2020.
4 September 2020
Mr Jackel TANG Tze-fai (right), Engineer, introduced the DSD’s flood prevention plan in Tsim Sha Tsui
Also during the year, the DSD Engineer Mr Jackel TANG Tze-fai appeared on RTHK’s TV programme, 830 Mag, on 4 September 2020. He revealed that the DSD’s plan to construct an underground stormwater storage tank under the Urban Council Centenary Garden and new drains in the vicinity which would ultimately alleviate flood risk of the district significantly. The interview was broadcast on 21 October 2020.
20 August 2020
The then Senior Engineer, Mr WONG Shiu-cheung (left), and Contract Safety Advisor, Mr Francis OR Ping-kun (right) were interviewed
The then Senior Engineer, Mr WONG Shiu-cheung and Contract Safety Advisor, Mr Francis OR Ping-kun, shared measures the DSD implemented to enhance industrial safety for working in confined space in an Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims’ pre-recorded radio programme under Community Involvement Broadcasting Service of the RTHK.
28 February 2021
Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Ms Stephanie LEUNG Yuen-ting, introduced the DSD’s facilities by the Victoria Harbour
Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, Ms Stephanie LEUNG Yuen-ting, participated in an online live tour, Journeys in Our Harbour, co-produced by the Harbourfront Commission and Walk in Hong Kong. In the tour, Ms LEUNG introduced two facilities of the DSD by the Victoria Harbour, namely Sheung Wan Stormwater Pumping Station and Central Preliminary Treatment Works. Ms LEUNG explained the sewage treatment process as well as the HATS.
20 May 2020
Ms Ginny TSUI Wing-man (left), representative of the DSD Volunteer Team, was telephone interviewed by RTHK Radio 5
Representing the DSD Volunteer Team, Ms Ginny TSUI Wing-man shared details of the DSD’s “i-connect” elderly voluntary service project and her service experience during a live telephone interview in “Elderly”, an informative elderly programme of RTHK Radio 5.
15 November 2020
Ms Ginny TSUI Wing-man, member of the DSD Volunteer Team, showed some brain-training games made by the Team
Ms Ginny TSUI Wing-man was also interviewed by HK01, the Hong Kong Economic Times and Wen Wei Po as representive of the DSD Volunteer Team to share the joy and honour of receiving the Excellence in Construction Industry Volunteering Project (Gold) award under the Construction Industry Volunteer Award Scheme. During the interview, Ms TSUI shared the whole process of organising and participating the “i-connect” – Dementia project and showed a number of brain-training games made by DSD Volunteer Team. The interview was published on 16 November 2020.
Being an organisation that puts emphasis on research, development and innovation, the DSD has always actively interacted with various professional bodies, including academics, professionals, industry representatives, other stakeholders and government departments, to share our views on the latest development of the industry. We are also pleased to exchange the latest technologies with these partners to promote sustainability together. During the year, the DSD organised and participated in a number of seminars.
Meeting with a foreign delegation
On 6 May 2020, the DSD welcomed a delegation from the Spanish Trade Commission of the Consulate General of Spain in Hong Kong to our Headquarters. During the meeting, Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah, the then Director of Drainage Services, gave a brief introduction to the delegation on the DSD’s structure and core responsibilities. In addition, our Senior Engineers Ms Katherine PANG Ching-yee and Ms Alice SHING Ne-chi presented DSD projects being tendered and their tender arrangements respectively.
Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah (second left), the then Director of Drainage Services, explained the DSD’s core responsibilities to the Spanish Trade Commission delegation members
Our colleagues take part in voluntary service with great enthusiasm in their spare time. Unperturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, DSD staff remains committed to giving back to society. During the year, the DSD Volunteer Team joined 14 volunteer service programmes, clocking over 520 service hours.
The DSD Volunteer Team has been launching a series of voluntary programmes entitled “i-connect” since 2017 to lend a helping hand to the elderly with dementia. This year’s highlight “i-connect – Dementia” was awarded the “Judges’ Appreciation – Excellence in Construction Industry Volunteering Project” Gold Award under the Construction Industry Volunteer Award Scheme 2020 organised by the Construction Industry Council. In addition, Ms Holly HUI Yuet-ting, Community Relations Officer of the DSD, was held in high regard by the industry and crowned with the honour of “Judges’ Appreciation – Excellence in Construction Industry Volunteering” Silver Award.
The project not only provided volunteers with training that could help them understand the difficulties faced by dementia patients, including degeneration of physical coordination and communication skills, but also encouraged volunteers to design various tools that could help the elderly to improve their physical coordination, such as Marble Ball Tray and Sai Wan Old Photo Puzzles.
Group photo of the Chairman of Construction Industry Council, Mr CHAN Ka-kui (fifth left), the current Director of Drainage Services, Ms Alice PANG (forth left), the former Director of Drainage Services, Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah (fifth right) and members of the DSD Volunteer Team
Marble Ball Tray and Sai Wan Old Photo Puzzles designed by volunteers for “i-connect – Dementia”
To echo with the annual Lo Pan Service Month, Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah, the then Director of Drainage Services, led DSD colleagues on Construction Industry Shoreline Clean-up Day during the year to protect our precious shoreline and carry forward the spirit of Master Lo Pan.
Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah (third right), the then Director of Drainage Services, led DSD colleagues on Construction Industry Shoreline Clean-up Day at Tung Chung Bay
Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah (second left), the then Director of Drainage Services, joined forces with DSD colleagues to clean up the shoreline
The DSD Volunteer Team launched an “iCare” appreciation scheme to encourage colleagues to engage their family members in voluntary service to embody the spirit of “better to give than to take”. Although the scheme was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in its inaugural year, 10 DSD colleagues were awarded appreciation certificates for exceeding the target number of volunteering hours, highlighting the DSD’s spirit of “Doing It from the Heart”.
Mr Kelvin LO Kwok-wah, the then Director of Drainage Services, presented “iCare” appreciation certificates to colleagues
The DSD is dedicated to combating the COVID-19 pandemic with the public. In light of panic buying of masks during the onset of COVID-19 when the elderly queued up overnight to purchase face masks, the DSD Volunteer Team co-organised a mask sewing and packing exercise with Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre on 3 May 2020, followed by a joint mask sewing and distribution event with the Centre and the Volunteer Team of the Highways Department on 9 May 2020. Elderly volunteers were invited to act as instructors to teach other volunteers how to sew exquisite cloth masks using fabric. Subsequently, the finished masks were distributed to the needy in the Western District to alleviate their anxiety about the shortage of masks.
Volunteers learned how to sew masks
Mask packaging event under “i Fight the Virus”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visits to elderly homes and elderly persons living alone were significantly reduced due to restriction of social contact. Some grassroots families also came under tremendous stress as their livelihoods were affected. Embracing the principle of “better to give than to take”, the DSD Volunteer Team was deeply concerned about the mental health and daily needs of local communities during that difficult time. A project entitled “iCare – Box of Love” was launched, under which cooperation was sought from various organisations and volunteers of different age groups were recruited to prepare small gift boxes for the elderly and grassroots children to express concern for them and send holiday greetings. The gift box contained items individually selected by the volunteers, including anti-pandemic supplies, stationery, books, warm clothes, daily necessities, healthy food, holiday decorations, handicrafts and handwritten goodwill cards. The response to the project was overwhelming. Notably, the Director of Drainage Services gave strong support and some colleagues invited their children to join the activity to provide the elderly and grassroots families with companionship during the pandemic.
DSD Volunteers prepared Chinese New Year gift boxes for the elderly and grassroots children
This appendix summarised the objectives of the DSD’s environmental, social and routine services and their overall performance during the reporting year. Looking ahead to the year 2021-22, we will continue to set targets to monitor and ensure the quality of our work and services, so as to deliver on the commitment to sustainability to our stakeholders and Hong Kong.
Environmental Targets 2020-21 | Achievements |
---|---|
Developing smart technologies, optimising operations, introducing innovative measures to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, minimising environmental impacts and meeting public expectations | |
Conduct trials of three new sustainable technologies within a three-year period starting from 2019-20 | The DSD conducted a trial of unmanned aircraft systems and 3D laser scanning for condition survey of covered facilities, and conducted trial of thin-film photovoltaic technologies at Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works as a source of renewable energy. We have also commenced a trial on SANI (Sulphate Reduction, Autotrophic Denitrification and Nitrification Integrated) Process for treatment of sewage at Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works. |
Conduct three Research and Development (R&D) items for optimisation and innovation technologies | Target met. Three R&D projects have been commissioned, including study and pilot trial of upgrading primary sedimentation tanks in Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works, study on low energy electrical odour control of sludge, and trial on unmanned aerial system drone-based survey for major rivers/channels in the New Territories. |
Meet with community groups/green groups/academics at least six times each year to consider sustainability matters | Target met. We conducted more than ten meetings and site inspections. |
Integrating sustainability measures and climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience considerations through improving energy efficiency, utilising renewable energy, reducing carbon and pollution emissions, and achieving water management, water reclamation and reuse | |
Increase the mileage percentage of electric vehicles among vehicles to 13% in threel years starting from 2019-20 | Progress was promising. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, total mileage of work transport contributed by electric vehicles was 16.2% and 22.4% respectively. |
Conduct surveillance carbon seven audits | Target met. We conducted surveillance carbon audits at seven major sewage treatment works. |
Projected energy saving of 0.95 million kilowatt-hours from newly commissioned projects in 2020-21 (for renewable energy and process optimisation) | Target met. The evaluated energy saving from newly commissioned projects (for renewable energy and optimisation) in 2020-21 was 0.996 million kilowatt hours in aggregate. |
Use an average of 1,700 cubic metres of reclaimed water and harvested water per day | Target met. During the year, we used an average of 1,726 cubic metres of reclaimed water and harvested water per day. |
Achieve zero growth of normalised paper usage from 2019-20 level | Target met. 9,555 reams of paper were used (i.e. 180 reams less than the annual consumption target). |
Developing blue-green infrastructure, maximising greening, conserving ecosystems and enhancing community health, liveability and biodiversity | |
Enhance the external appearance of three existing facilities by carrying out landscaping and greening works | Target met. We completed enhancement works of four existing facilities. |
Plant 12,000 trees and shrubs | Target met. We planted 28,829 trees and shrubs. |
Meeting all statutory and regulatory requirements on environmental performance in our projects and operations | |
Fully comply with the statutory EIA process | Target met. |
Fully comply with environmental legislations | Target met. |
Environmental Targets 2021-22 | |
Developing smart technologies, optimising operations, introducing innovative measures to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, minimise environmental impacts and meet public expectations | |
Conduct trials of three new sustainable technologies within a three-year period starting from 2019-20 | |
Conduct three Research and Development (R&D) items for optimisation and innovation technologies | |
Meet with community groups/green groups/academics at least six times each year to consider sustainability matters | |
Integrating sustainability measures and climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience considerations through improving energy efficiency, utilising renewable energy, reducing carbon and pollution emissions, and achieving water management, water reclamation and reuse | |
Increase the mileage percentage of electric vehicles among all vehicles to 13% in three years starting from 2019-20 | |
Conduct surveillance carbon audits at seven major sewage treatment works | |
Projected energy saving of 1.5 million kilowatt-hours from newly commissioned projects in 2021-22 (for renewable energy and process optimisation) | |
Use an average of 1,700 cubic metres of reclaimed water and harvested water per day | |
Achieve zero growth of paper usage from 2020-21 level | |
Environmental Targets 2020-21 | |
Developing blue-green infrastructure, maximising greening, conserving ecosystems and enhancing community health, liveability and biodiversity | |
Enhance the external appearance of three existing facilities by carrying out landscaping and greening works | |
Plant 12,000 trees or shrubs | |
Meeting all statutory and regulatory requirements on environmental performance in our projects and operations | |
Fully comply with the statutory EIA process | |
Fully comply with environmental legislations |
Social Targets 2020-21 | Achievements | Social Targets 2021-22 |
---|---|---|
Minimising the accident rate of DSD staff | ||
For the DSD staff, maintain not more than 5 occupational injuries per 1,000 staff per year | Target met. 1.1 occupational injuries per 1,000 staff per year was reported in the reporting period. | Same as the 2020-21 target as |
Minimising the accident rate of DSD contractors | ||
For the DSD's contractors, maintain less than 0.6 reportable accident per 100,000 man-hours worked | Target Met. The DSD's contractors had 0.15 reportable accident per 100,000 man-hours in the reporting period. | Same as the 2020-21 target |
Maintaining occupational safety and health awareness of professional, technical and site supervisory staff, consultants and contractors with in-house briefing | ||
Organise at least two in-house occupational safety and health (OSH) workshops | Target met. Two in-house workshops on OSH were organised. | Same as the 2020-21 target |
Promoting the awareness on occupational safety and health amongst contractors | ||
Maintain at least 80% of the DSD eligible new works contracts and 30% of the DSD eligible maintenance term contracts participating in the Development Bureau's Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme (CCSAS) | Target met. All 27 eligible new works contracts of the DSD participated in CCSAS (100%); out of the 16 eligible maintenance term contracts of the DSD, 12 (75%) of them participated in CCSAS. | Same as the 2020-21 target |
Service | Pledge | Performance Target 2020 21 | Achievement | Performance Target 2021 22 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clearance of blocked sewers/drains | Respond within the same day for complaints received before 1 pm | 99% | 99.79% | Same as the 2020-21 target |
Respond before noon of the next day for complaints received after 1 pm | 99% | 99.74% | ||
Customers satisfied with the clearing work1 | 95% | 99.64% | ||
Technical audit for connection to the public drainage/sewerage systems | Reply to the applicant within nine working days upon receipt of HBP1 application | 99% | 100% | |
Response to written enquiries on sewage charge accounts | Initiall respond within two working days | 100% | 100% | |
Full reply within a month | 98% | 100% | ||
Response to complaints and enquiries | Within 10 calendar days | 98% | 98.78% | |
Provision of drainage record | Allow inspection within the same day | 95% | 100% | |
Provide photocopy within four working days upon confirmation of payment | 95% | 100% | ||
On-site display of the purpose and anticipated completion date of drainage works involving road excavation | A simple description of drainage works with anticipated completion date will be displayed on site to enable the public to understand why the works are necessary and when they will be completed | 98% | 100% |
1The customer satisfaction survey on the clearance of blocked sewers/drains is conducted once a week by selecting the respondents randomly.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By the DSD (302-1) | |||||||
Gasoline | Pool cars | GJ1 (Litre) | 627 (18,995) |
599 (18,155) |
379 (11,474) |
533 (16,132) |
685 (20,737) |
AM cars | GJ1 (Litre) | 3,173 (96,097) |
3,421 (103,615) |
2,874 (87,045) |
2,837 (85,928) |
2,605 (78,895) |
|
Electricity purchased | GJ1(Million kWh) | 1,024,092 (284.47) |
1,082,376 (300.66) |
1,054,656 (292.96) |
1,081,184 (300.33) |
1,113,362 (309.27) |
|
Total energy consumption2 | GJ1 | 1,027,892 | 1,086,396 | 1,057,909 | 1,084,554 | 1,116,652 | |
Purchased electricity consumption per unit volume of sewage treated (302-3) | kWh/m3(Million kWh) | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.29 | |
Total equivalent electricity generated from renewable energy sources3 | Million kWh | 21.70 | 28.15 | 28.50 | 27.96 | 27.28 | |
Biogas4 | Million m3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | |
By the DSD's Contractors (302-2) | |||||||
Gasoline | GJ1 (Litre) | 4,473 (135,461) |
4,525 (137,045) |
4,035 (122,186) |
5,191 (157,208) |
10,907 (330,313) |
|
Diesel | GJ1 (Litre) | 12,540 (343,571) |
16,566 (454,411) |
39,106 (1,071,408) |
67,626 (1,855,021) |
93,028 (2,551,807) |
|
Electricity | GJ1(Million kWh) | 56,616 (15.73) |
16,480 (4.58) |
22,693 (6.30) |
14,808 (4.11) |
20,903 (5.81) |
1Conversion factors for standardising units to GJ are gasoline (0.033 GJ/L), diesel (0.036 GJ/L), electricity (0.0036 GJ/kWh). Since different conversion factors are adopted in estimation methods, the significant figure of energy consumption are slightly different.
2The total electricity consumption includes the offices at Kowloon Government Offices, Western Magistracy, and the DSD’s flood prevention and sewage treatment facilities (including sewage treatment works, sewage pumping stations and stormwater pumping stations). Electricity consumption at office at Revenue Tower is not applicable. The total energy consumption is calculated by the addition of gasoline consumption and amount of electricity purchased.
3The renewable energy sources harnessed by the DSD include hydropower, solar power and biogas.
4Generated from sewage treatment works.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By the DSD | |||||||
(305-1) Gasoline Combustion (Scope 1) (305-1) | Pool Cars | Tonnes CO2e | 44.83 | 42.85 | 27.08 | 38.07 | 48.94 |
AM Cars | Tonnes CO2e | 226.79 | 244.53 | 205.43 | 202.79 | 186.19 | |
Electricity purchased (Scope 2)6 (305-2) | Tonnes CO2e | 199,129 | 210,462 | 205,072 | 210,230 | 215,740 | |
By the DSD's Contractors (305-3) | |||||||
Electricity purchased (Scope 3) | Tonnes CO2e | 11,009 | 19,019 | 4,412 | 2,879 | 4,064 | |
Fuel consumption (Scope 3)7 | Tonnes CO2e | 1,218 | 1,511 | 3,089 | 4,749 | 6,802 |
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freshwater consumption at flood prevention and sewage treatment facilities | m3 | 2,433,500 | 2,191,991 | 2,436,440 | 2,525,919 | 2,682,821 |
Daily reclaimed water produced at sewage treatment facilities | m3 | 1,332 | 1,340 | 1,861 | 1,576 | 1,607 |
Percentage of reclaimed water used | % | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
5GHG emission were calculated based on the Guidelines to Account for and Report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals for buildings (Commercial, Residential or Institutional Purpose) in Hong Kong issued by the Environmental Protection Department and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, HKSAR in February 2010. Types of GHG include CO2, CH4 and N2O.
6Scope 2 GHG emissions were calculated based on a territory-wide default value of 0.7 kg/kWh.
7Generated from stationary combustion of diesel and mobile combustion of petrol i.e. vehicle consumption. GHG emissions from vehicle consumption by the DSD’s contractors was calculated based on the assumption that all vehicles were passenger cars that consume gasoline. The DSD will continue optimising the data collection method to enhance data accuracy.
8Freshwater and reclaimed water consumed by the DSD are renewable materials. The freshwater is municipal water from the city’s water supply system.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volume of sewage treated (102-7) | Million m3 | 1,015 | 1,007 | 1,028 | 1,033 | 1,044 |
Biochemical oxygen demand removed from sewage | Tonnes | 151,406 | 146,159 | 132,797 | 132,089 | 131,888 |
Suspended solids removed from sewage | 277,232 | 223,165 | 194,751 | 207,672 | 216,345 | |
Nitrogen removed from sewage | 6,683 | 7,106 | 7,388 | 7,084 | 7,250 | |
Dewatered sludge removed from sewage | 410,526 | 386,137 | 392,140 | 381,045 | 389,878 | |
Screenings removed from sewage | 14,823 | 14,970 | 14,292 | 12,842 | 12,671 | |
Grits removed from sewage | 6,513 | 4,996 | 5,721 | 4,981 | 4,998 |
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Materials | |||||||
C&D waste disposed to landfills10 | ’000 kg | 5,801 | 2,273 | 2,335 | 6,188 | 14,380 | |
C&D waste disposed to public fill areas11 | ’000 kg | 170,162 | 155,469 | 151,918 | 68,491 | 230,594 | |
Recyclable Waste Collected | |||||||
Waste paper12 | kg | 20,587 | 15,954 | 20,087 | 15,083 | 16,415 | |
Aluminium cans13 | kg | 29.51 | 32.23 | 92.21 | 86.76 | 80.20 | |
Plastic bottles13 | kg | 18.76 | 22.72 | 52.66 | 45.53 | 33.10 |
9The DSD centrally collects waste data from different divisions and contractors.
10Waste includes metals, plastics, paper/cardboard packaging waste and other wastes, such as general refuse.
11Waste include bricks, concrete, building debris, rubble and excavated soil.
12The amount of waste paper collected did not include those collected from project sites.
13The amount of aluminium cans and plastic bottles collected did not include those collected from the Western Magistracy as the data were not available.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By the DSD | |||||||
Total paper consumption | Reams | 9,285 | 9,231 | 9,223 | 9,091 | 9,555 | |
A4 paper | 8,992 | 8,854 | 8,817 | 8,726 | 9,230 | ||
A3 paper | 293 | 377 | 406 | 365 | 305 | ||
Purchased A4/A3 paper with recycle content | Reams (% of total paper purchased) | 9,285 (100%) | 9,231 (100%) | 9,223 (100%) | 9,091 (100%) | 9,555 (100%) | |
Paper consumed per staff (By establishment) | Reams | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | |
By the DSD's contractors | |||||||
Rebar | Tonnes | 10,643 | 13,325 | 11,811 | 14,998 | 8,257 | |
Steel | Tonnes | 3,402 | 5,042 | 4,159 | 9,843 | 7,416 | |
Bricks | m3 | 5,817 | 1,993 | 126 | 140 | 209 | |
Cement | Tonnes | 2,248 | 3,500 | 763 | 2,181 | 3,816 | |
Cement mortar | m3 | 640 | 1,946 | 873 | 812 | 982 | |
Concrete | m3 | 73,175 | 74,651 | 52,150 | 57,418 | 71,794 | |
Sand | Tonnes | 24,117 | 23,111 | 2,602 | 6,857 | 25,245 | |
Stones | Tonnes | 31,898 | 26,775 | 8,762 | 6,326 | 13,308 | |
Office paper | Tonnes | 40 | 74 | 20 | 66 | 34 |
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total no. of trees planted | Tree | 10,000 | 1,300 | 64 | 239 | 62 |
Area of green roof added | m2 | 4,200 | 4,150 | 2,028 | 7,359 | 644 |
14Except for paper, which is a renewable material, others are non-renewable materials.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-2115 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Staff establishment (102-7) | No. | 1,937 | 1,940 | 1,986 | 2,020 | 2,050 |
Directorate | No. | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Professional | No. | 310 | 307 | 327 | 346 | 368 |
Technical & Site Supervisory | No. | 884 | 888 | 908 | 920 | 962 |
General & Common Grades | No. | 531 | 533 | 538 | 540 | 543 |
Model Scale I | No. | 194 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 159 |
Training | ||||||
Training courses16 | No. | 674 | 638 | 681 | 600 | 331 |
Trainees | No. | 9,042 | 8,033 | 10,011 | 6,873 | 4,062 |
Training hours received | Hours | 57,737 | 60,524 | 66,110 | 58,781 | 31,374 |
Average training hours per staff (Based on the staff strength) | Hours | 33 | 35 | 38 | 34 | 18 |
Total expenditure on training (Includes local training only)16 | $ | 3,046,283 | 2,929,551 | 2,701,879 | 3,772,082 | 2,017,411 |
15Data as of 31 March 2021.
16It includes internal and external seminars, workshops, training courses, visits and training courses held by Civil Service Training and Development Institute and staff-initiated external courses.
Unit | By Strength | |
---|---|---|
No. of Staff | No. | 1,787 |
By Post | ||
Directorate | %(No.) | 1.06 (19) |
Professional | 19.75 (353) | |
Technical & Site Supervisory | 51.32 (917) | |
General & Common Grades | 22.77 (407) | |
Model Scale I | 5.10 (91) | |
By Employment Type | ||
Full-time | %(No.) | 100 (1,787) |
Part-time | 0 (0) |
Unit | By Strength | |
---|---|---|
By Employment Contract, by Gender | ||
Permanent (male) | % (No.) |
81.09 (1,449) |
Permanent (female) | 18.91 (338) | |
By Age | ||
Age 20-29 | % (No.) |
13.93 (249) |
Age 30-39 | 26.97 (482) | |
Age 40-49 | 27.31 (488) | |
Age 50-59 | 28.43 (508) | |
Age 60 or above | 3.36 (60) | |
By Nationality | ||
Local | % (No.) |
100 (1,787) |
Non-local | 0 (0) |
17The majority of our operations are performed by the DSD’s employees.
Unit | By Strength | |
---|---|---|
No. of Staff | No. | 6 |
By Age | ||
2 Age 20-29 | %(No.) | 0 (0) |
Age 30-39 | %(No.) | 0 (0) |
Age 40-49 | %(No.) | 0 (0) |
Age 50-59 | %(No.) | 83.33 (5) |
Age 60 or above | %(No.) | 16.67 (1) |
Unit | By Strength | |
---|---|---|
By Nationality | ||
Local | %(No.) | 100 (6) |
Non-local | %(No.) | 0 (0) |
By Gender | ||
Male | %(No.) | 83.33 (5) |
Female | %(No.) | 16.67 (1) |
Type of Staff | No. of Staff (By Strength) | Training Hours Received (Hours) | Training Hours per Staff (Hours) |
---|---|---|---|
Directorate Staff | 19 | 175 | 9.21 |
Professional Grade Staff | 353 | 9,023 | 25.56 |
Technical, Site Supervisory, General & Common Grades and Model Scale I Staff | 1,411 | 22,176 | 15.71 |
18As there is no distinct requirement regarding receiving training in terms of gender, therefore we do not report the data broken down by gender.
New Employee19 | Staff Turnover20 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unit | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
By Age | |||||
Age 20-29 | No. | 57 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
Age 30-39 | No. | 33 | 11 | 7 | 1 |
Age 40-49 | No. | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Age 50-59 | No. | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Age 60 or above | No. | 1 | 0 | 61 | 6 |
19The above figures involve staff with their 1st appointment date falling within the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.
20The staff turnover figures exclude staff on inter-departmental transfer.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total number of voluntary work hours carried out by our staff | Hours | 1,115 | 1,795 | 1,200 | 1,332 | 411 |
Number of voluntary projects completed | No. | 20 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 21 |
Employee fundraising | $ '000 | 53 | 49 | 40 | 65 | 25 |
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of fatalities | ||||||
Number of fatalities | No. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The DSD staff | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Construction and maintenance works undertaken by the DSD's contractors | 0 | 1 (Male) |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
Fatal accident rate per 200,000 man-hours21 | ||||||
The DSD staff | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Construction and maintenance works undertaken by the DSD's contractors | - | 0 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of non-fatal Accidents | ||||||
The DSD staff | No. | 7 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
Construction and maintenance works undertaken by the DSD's contractors | No. | 8 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 13 |
Non-fatal accident rate per 200,000 man-hours21 | ||||||
The DSD staff | - | 0.20 | 0.16 | 0.24 | 0.16 | 0.06 |
Construction and maintenance works undertaken by the DSD's contractors | - | 0.22 | 0.44 | 0.18 | 0.28 | 0.30 |
Unit | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|
Total hours worked | ||
The DSD staff | Hours | 6,415,365 |
Construction and maintenance works undertaken by the DSD's contractors | 8,768,358 |
21The accident rate of the Hong Kong Construction Industry is based on the published statistics of the Labour Department and using a conversion of 1.67 accidents per 100,000 man-hours equivalent to 60 accidents per 1,000 workers per year, which gives a conversion factor of 55.71 workers/200,000 man-hours.
The two major types of expenses in the DSD are operational expenses and public works project expenses. Our day-to-day departmental operation is financed by the General Revenue Account of the Government, while funding for public works projects are approved on a project-by-project basis by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. To ensure public funds are used effectively, we strive to enhance operation efficiency by adopting new technologies and management practices.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recurrent Expenditure | Personal Emoluments | $M | 917.19 | 916.87 | 958.68 | 1,009.37 | 1,040.59 |
Departmental Expenses22 | $M | 1,646.92 | 1,692.80 | 1,774.93 | 1,869.07 | 1,999.50 | |
Capital Account Expenditure | $M | 30.04 | 37.26 | 94.99 | 81.12 | 90.79 | |
Total | $M | 2,594.15 | 2,646.93 | 2,828.60 | 2,959.56 | 3,130.88 |
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-2123 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. of drainage projects under planning, design and construction | No. | 18 | 24 | 24 | {2} [24] |
{9} [19] |
Value of drainage projects under planning, design and construction | $M | 14,445 | 26,876 | 31,935 | {1,345} [34,758] |
{4,577} [33,897] |
No. of sewerage projects under planning, design and construction | No. | 69 | 66 | 63 | {21} [44] |
{35} [40] |
Value of sewerage projects under planning, design and construction | $M | 70,093 | 73,175 | 89,220 | {27,031} [77,608] |
{57,532} [59,880] |
22It included expenses on Mandatory Provident Fund and Civil Service Provident Fund contributions.
23Figures in { } are Category A projects under construction and the amount shown in money-of-the-day price; figures in [ ] are Category B projects under planning or design and amount shown in March 2021 price level.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-2124 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sewage Charge Revenue | $M | 1,161.1 | 1,296.2 | 1,323.1 | 1,189.3 | 1,061.6 |
Trade Effluent Surcharge Revenue | $M | 231.8 | 243.5 | 241.0 | 160.6 | 0 |
Other Revenue | $M | 45.5 | 45.9 | 50.6 | 54.4 | 55.1 |
Overall Revenue | $M | 1,438.4 | 1,585.6 | 1,614.7 | 1,404.3 | 1,046.0 |
Expenditure (Excluding Depreciation) | $M | (2,340.6) | (2,334.2) | (2,515.4) | (2,634.2) | (2,724.5) |
Depreciation | $M | (1,518.2) | (1,546.1) | (1,547.0) | (1,595.9) | (1,620.4) |
Overall Expenditure | $M | (3,858.8) | (3,880.3) | (4,062.4) | (4,230.1) | (4,344.9) |
(Deficit) | $M | (2,420.4) | (2,294.7) | (2,447.7) | (2,825.8) | (3,298.9) |
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-2124 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Revenue of Sewage Charge and Trade Effluent Surcharge | $M | 1,392.9 | 1,539.7 | 1,564.1 | 1,349.9 | 1,061.6 |
Expenditure (excluding depreciation) of Sewage Charge and Trade Effluent Surcharge26 | $M | 2,295.7 | 2,288.9 | 2,465.5 | 2,580.4 | 2,670.0 |
Operating Cost Recovery Rate | % | 60.7 | 67.3 | 63.4 | 52.3 | 37.127 |
2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of water accounts (in thousand) | 2,955 | 2,989 | 3,043 | 3,078 | 3,116 |
Number of water accounts liable to pay Sewage Charge (in thousand) | 2,735 | 2,765 | 2,818 | 2,853 | 2,889 |
Number of accounts - Trade Effluent Surcharge (in thousand) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
24The 2020-21 figures are provisional and subject to endorsement by the Sewage Services Accounts Committee.
25“Miscellaneous services” are excluded from the revenues and expenditure in this table.
26Depreciation is not recovered through the Sewage Charge and the Trade Effluent Surcharge at present.
27The figures have reflected concessions on the Sewage Charge and Trade Effluent Surcharge in 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Operating Cost Recovery Rates without calculation of the concessions in 2019-20 and 2020-21 are 58.9% and 58.4% respectively.
Telephone enquiries
Written enquiries
No. of Cases Handled
No. of New TES Accounts Identified
28The figures are provisional and subject to endorsement by the Sewage Services Accounts Committee.
Unit | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flood Prevention | ||||||
Total no. of flooding blackspots | No. | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
Total length of stormwater drains | km | 2,386 | 2,388 | 2,410 | 2,410 | 2,410 |
Total length of engineered channels | 363 | 363 | 363 | 363 | 366 | |
Total length of drainage tunnels | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | |
Total no. of stormwater pumping stations | No. | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
Sewage Treatment | ||||||
Coverage of Public Sewerage (Population Percentage)29 | % | 93.5 | 93.5 | 93.6 | 93.7 | 93.8 |
Total length of sewerage network | km | 1,755 | 1,770 | 1,832 | 1,841 | 1,864 |
Total length of sewage tunnels | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | |
Total no. of sewage treatment facilities | No. | 304 | 314 | 319 | 324 | 328 |
Total volume of sewage treated | Million m3 | 1,015 | 1,007 | 1,028 | 1,033 | 1,044 |
By Preliminary Treatment | 45 | 58 | 75 | 50 | 22 | |
By Primary Treatment | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | |
By Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment | 779 | 757 | 751 | 784 | 821 | |
By Secondary Treatment | 186 | 187 | 196 | 196 | 197 | |
By Tertiary Treatment | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.14 | |
Total sewage sludge generated daily30 | Tonnes | 1,121 | 1,043 | 1,075 | 1,041 | 1,068 |
Emission factor of GHG emissions due to electricity used for processing sewage | - | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.21 |
29Based on the number of domestic water bill accounts with sewage charges levied.
30Most of the sludge is weighed on a scale in the sewage treatment plants, while the weight of the sludge generated in small treatment plants is measured after being received by the Environmental Protection Department.
For the Materiality Disclosures Service, GRI Services reviewed that the GRI content index is clearly presented and the references for Disclosures 102-40 to 102-49 align with appropriate sections in the body of the report. The service was performed on the English version of the report.
GRI Standards | General Disclosures | Reference/Direct Answer/Reasons for Omissions | Page No. | External Assurance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GRI 101: Foundation 2016 | |||||
GRI 102: General Disclosures 2016 | Organizational Profile | ||||
102-1 | Name of the organization | About the Report | P.6 | ✓ | |
102-2 | Activities, brands, products, and services | Core Responsibilities | p.54 | ✓ | |
102-3 | Location of headquarters | Hong Kong, 43/F Revenue Tower, Wanchai | - | ✓ | |
102-4 | Location of operations | Hong Kong only | - | ✓ | |
102-5 | Ownership and legal form | Part of the Hong Kong SAR Government | - | ✓ | |
102-6 | Markets served | Hong Kong only | - | ✓ | |
102-7 | Scale of the organization | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.163, 164, 166, 171 | ✓ | |
102-8 | Information on employees and other workers | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.166 | ✓ | |
102-9 | Supply chain | Stakeholder Engagement | P.136-138 | ✓ | |
102-10 | Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain | No significant changes | - | ✓ | |
102-11 | Precautionary Principle or approach | Governance Approach The DSD adopts precautionary approaches in our daily operations to minimise negative environmental and social impacts. |
P.50-53 | ✓ | |
102-12 | External initiatives | Highlights of the Year Stakeholder Engagement |
P.32-43 P.148-149 |
✓ | |
102-13 | Membership of associations | DSD holds membership in the following associations: Leading Utilities of the World (LUOW); The International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) - Hong Kong Chapter; The Hong Kong Green Building Council; The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM); and The NEC Users’ Group and CITAC i-Club Corporate Member. | - | ✓ | |
Strategy | |||||
102-14 | Statement from Senior decision-maker | Director's Statement | P.2-5 | ✓ | |
Ethics and Integrity | |||||
102-16 | Values, principles, standards, and norms of behaviour | Governance Approach | P.46 | ✓ | |
Governance | |||||
102-18 | Governance structure | Governance Approach | P.47-52 | ✓ | |
102-20 | Executive-level responsibility for economic, environmental, and social topics | Governance Approach | P.47 | ✓ | |
102-21 | Consulting stakeholders on economic, environmental, and social topics | About the Report Stakeholder Engagement |
P.8 P.128 |
✓ | |
102-23 | Chair of the highest governance body | Governance Approach | P.47 | ✓ | |
102-32 | Highest governance body’s role in sustainability reporting | Governance Approach | P.52 | ✓ | |
Stakeholder Engagement | |||||
102-40 | List of stakeholder groups | About the Report Stakeholder Engagement |
P.8 P.128 |
✓ | |
102-41 | Collective bargaining agreements | Nil | - | ✓ | |
102-42 | Identifying and selecting stakeholders | About the Report | P.8 | ✓ | |
102-43 | Approach to stakeholder engagement | About the Report Stakeholder Engagement |
P.8 P.128 |
✓ | |
102-44 | Key topics and concerns raised | About the Report | P.11-13 | ✓ | |
Reporting Practice | |||||
102-45 | Entities included in the consolidated financial statements | About the Report | P.7 | ✓ | |
102-46 | Defining report content and topic Boundaries | About the Report | P.12-13 | ✓ | |
102-47 | List of material topics | About the Report | P.12-13 | ✓ | |
102-48 | Restatements of information | In the Key Statistics and Data of the report last year, the following information is restated: 1. Gasoline consumption amount by AM cars in 2017-18 was revised from 3,422 GJ to 3,421 GJ; and 2. Total length of stormwater drains in year 2018-19 was revised from 2,427 km to 2,410 km, the total length of stormwater drains in year 2019-20 was revised from 2,429 km to 2,410 km. |
- | ✓ | |
102-49 | Changes in reporting | About the Report | P.11 | ✓ | |
102-50 | Reporting period | About the Report | P.7 | ✓ | |
102-51 | Date of most recent report | December 2020 | - | ✓ | |
102-52 | Reporting cycle | Our Sustainability Report has been published annually since 2012-13. | - | ✓ | |
102-53 | Contact point for questions regarding the report | Feedback Form | P.190-191, Back cover | ✓ | |
102-54 | Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards | About the Report | P.7 | ✓ | |
102-55 | GRI content index | Appendix III: GRI Content Index | P.176-185 | ✓ | |
102-56 | External assurance | About the Report Verification Statement |
P.7 P.186-189 |
✓ |
GRI Standards | Topic-specific Standards | Reference/Direct Answer/Reasons for Omissions | Page No. | External Assurance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Economics | |||||
Economic Performance | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.170-171 |
✓ |
GRI 201: Economic Performance 2016 | 201-1 | Direct economic value generated and distributed | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.170 | ✓ |
201-2 | Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change | Director’s Statement Governance Approach Environmental Management |
P.2-5 P.46,51 P.104-109 |
✓ | |
Indirect Economic Impacts and Transparency on Public Funds and Assets Management | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Core Responsibilities Stakeholder Engagement |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.54-55 P.126-153 |
✓ |
GRI 203: Indirect Economic Impacts 2016 | 203-1 | Infrastructure investments and services supported | Core Responsibilities Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.64-67, 70-85 P.168,170 |
✓ |
203-2 | Significant indirect economic impacts | Core Responsibilities Stakeholder Engagement |
P.64-67, 70-85 P.126-153 |
✓ | |
Procurement Practices | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Stakeholder Engagement We follow the procurement policy of the government, follow an open and fair process to select contractors and suppliers, and review their performance regularly. |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.136-138 |
✓ |
GRI 204: Procurement Practices 2016 | 204-1 | Proportion of spending on local suppliers | Procurement of services and goods made by the DSD’s Supplies Unit in 2020-21 are 100% local (i.e. Hong Kong) supplier, contractors or local agents. | - | ✓ |
Anti-corruption | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach We request our staff to adhere to the highest ethical standard. If any suspected corruption cases are reported, they will be submitted to the Independent Commission Against Corruption for further investigation. |
P.8-13 P.46,51 |
✓ |
GRI 205: Anti-corruption 2016 | 205-3 | Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken | No Confirmed incidents of corruption since 2013-14 | - | ✓ |
Environmental | |||||
Odour Control | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Core Responsibilities To control the odor nuisance that may be generated during the sewage treatment process, the DSD has adopted odour abatement measures in our sewage treatment facilities and regularly monitor the effectiveness of the odor control measures. Information about odour abatement is uploaded to the DSD website. |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.79 |
✓ |
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Environmental Management |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.104-109 |
✓ |
Use of Materials | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach< Environmental Management |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.110 |
✓ |
GRI 301: Materials 2016 | 301-1 | Materials used by weight or volume | Appendix II - Key Statistics and Data | P.162,165 | ✓ |
Energy | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Environmental Management |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.104-109,112 |
✓ |
GRI 302: Energy 2016 | 302-1 | Energy consumption within the organization | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.161 | ✓ |
302-2 | Energy consumption within the organization | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.161 | ✓ | |
302-3 | Energy intensity | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.161 | ✓ | |
302-4 | Reduction of energy consumption | Environmental Management Appendix I: Meeting the Targets |
P.108 P.154-157 |
✓ | |
Water and Effluents | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Environmental Management Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.8-13 P.46, 51 P.90-103 P.162-163 |
✓ |
GRI 303: Water and Effluents 2018 | 302-1 | Interactions with water as a shared resource | Core Responsibilities Environmental Management Appendix I: Meeting the Targets Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.54-55 P.90-103 P.154-157 P.162-163 |
✓ |
302-2 | Management of water discharge-related impacts | Core Responsibilities | P.68-69, 78 | ✓ | |
302-3 | Water withdrawal | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.162 | ✓ | |
302-5 | Water consumption | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.162 | ✓ | |
Ecological Conservation (GRI 304: Biodiversity) | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Innovating for a Better Future Environmental Management |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.31 P.90-98 |
✓ |
GRI 304: Biodiversity 2016 | 304-3 | Habitats protected or restored | Innovating for a Better Future Environmental Management |
P.31 P.92-94 |
✓ |
Emissions | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Environmental Management |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.104-109,112 |
✓ |
GRI 305: Emissions 2016 | 305-1 | Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.162 | ✓ |
305-2 | Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.162 | ✓ | |
305-3 | Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.162 | ✓ | |
305-5 | Reduction of GHG emissions | Environmental Management | P.105 | ✓ | |
Waste | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Environmental Management |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.110 |
✓ |
GRI 306: Waste 2020 | 306-1 | Waste generation and significant waste-related impacts | Environmental Management | P.106-107 | ✓ |
306-2 | Management of significant waste-related impacts | Environmental Management Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.106-107 P.163-165 |
✓ | |
306-3 | Waste generated | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.163-165 | ✓ | |
Environmental Compliance | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Appendix I: Meeting the Targets |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.156 |
✓ |
GRI 307: Environmental Compliance 2016 | 307-1 | Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations | No non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations in 2020-21. | - | ✓ |
Supplier Environmental Assessment | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | P.6-13 P.46,51 P.112 |
✓ |
GRI 308: Supplier Environmental Assessment 2016 | 308-1 | New suppliers that were screened using environmental criteria | The DSD welcomes suppliers to follow the green specifications or criteria. No new suppliers have been screened using environmental criteria so far. | - | ✓ |
Social | |||||
Reporting on Sustainable Development Agenda | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach |
P.8-13 P.46,51 |
✓ |
Grievance Mechanism | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Caring for Our Staff Appendix I: Meeting the Targets |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.124 P.159 |
✓ |
Internal Communication Channel | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Caring for Our Staff |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.124-125 |
✓ |
Employment Policy and Employee Ratio | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Caring for Our Staff We follow the employment policy and guideline of the government, such as the Civil Service Regulations, to ensure effective management of the staff and deliver quality service to the citizens. |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.114-123 |
✓ |
GRI 401: Employment 2016 | 401-1 | New employee hires and employee turnover | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.168 | ✓ |
GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity 2016 | 405-1 | Diversity of governance bodies and employees | Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data | P.167 | ✓ |
Occupational Health and Safety | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Caring for Our Staff Stakeholder Engagement |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.118-123 P.136-138 |
✓ |
GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety 2018 | 403-1 | Occupational health and safety management system | Governance Approach Caring for Our Staff |
P.46,51 P.118-119 |
✓ |
403-2 | Hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation | Caring for Our Staff | P.118-119 | ✓ | |
403-3 | Occupational health services | Caring for Our Staff | P.118-123 | ✓ | |
403-4 | Worker participation, consultation, and communication on occupational health and safety | Caring for Our Staff | P.122-123 | ✓ | |
403-5 | Worker training on occupational health and safety | Caring for Our Staff | P.120-121 | ✓ | |
403-6 | Promotion of worker health | Caring for Our Staff | P.122-123 | ✓ | |
403-7 | Prevention and mitigation of occupational health and safety impacts directly linked by business relationships | Caring for Our Staff | P.118-119 | ✓ | |
403-9 | Work-related injuries | Caring for Our Staff Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.119 P.169 |
✓ | |
Staff Training and Education | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Caring for Our Staff |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.116-117 |
✓ |
GRI 404: Training and Education 2016 |
404-1 | Average hours of training per year per employee | Caring for Our Staff Appendix II: Key Statistics and Data |
P.116 P.168 |
✓ |
Service Quality Standards | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Core Responsibilities Appendix I: Meeting the Targets |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.54-55 P.154, 159-160 |
✓ |
GRI 416: Customer Health and Safety 2016 | 416-2 | Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services | No non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area in 2020-21. | - | ✓ |
Socioeconomic Compliance | |||||
GRI 103: Management Approach 2016 | 103-1 103-2 103-3 |
Management approach | About the Report Governance Approach Appendix I: Meeting the Targets We follow the policies and guidelines of the government in the social and economic area and ensure that we are complying with the regulations. |
P.8-13 P.46,51 P.158-160 |
✓ |
GRI 419: Socioeconomic Compliance 2016 | 419-2 | Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area | No non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area in 2020-21. | - | ✓ |
Statement No.: SRA-HK-761085
The British Standards Institution is independent of the Drainage Services Department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (hereafter referred to as “DSD” in this statement), and has no financial interest in the operation of DSD other than for the assessment and assurance of DSD Sustainability Report 2020-21 (the “Report”).
This independent assurance opinion statement has been prepared for DSD solely for the purpose of assuring its statements relating to the Report, more particularly described in the Scope below. It was not prepared for any other purpose. The British Standards Institution will not, in providing this independent assurance opinion statement, accept or assume responsibility (legal or otherwise) or accept liability for or in connection with any other purpose for which it may be used, or towards any person by whom the independent assurance opinion statement may be read. This statement is intended to be used by stakeholders & management of DSD.
This independent assurance opinion statement is prepared on the basis of review by the British Standards Institution of information presented to it by DSD. The review does not extend beyond such information and is solely based on it. In performing such review, the British Standards Institution has assumed that all such information is complete and accurate.
Any queries that may arise by virtue of this independent assurance opinion statement or matters relating to it should be addressed to DSD only.
The scope of engagement agreed upon with DSD includes the following:
The assurance covers the whole Report and, focuses on systems and activities of DSD in Hong Kong, which include sewage treatment and flood prevention during the period from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021. The Report is prepared in accordance with the Core Option of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards (“GRI Standards”).
Type 1 Moderate Level of Assurance evaluates the nature and extent of DSD’s adherence to four reporting principles: Inclusivity, Materiality, Responsiveness and Impact. The specified sustainability performance information/data disclosed in the Report has been evaluated.
This statement was prepared in English and translated to Chinese for reference only.
We conclude that the Report provides a fair view of DSD’s sustainability programmes and performance in the reporting year. We believe that the economic, social and environmental performance indicators are fairly represented in the Report, in which DSD’s efforts to pursue sustainable development are widely recognised by its stakeholders.
Our work was carried out by a team of sustainability report assurors. We planned and performed this part of our work to obtain the necessary information and explanations. We considered DSD has provided sufficient evidence that DSD’s self-declaration of compliance with the Core Option of GRI Standards were fairly stated.
Our work was designed to gather evidence on which to base our conclusion. We undertook the following activities:
A detailed review against the Principles of Inclusivity, Materiality and Responsiveness and Impact, and in accordance with the GRI Standards is set out below:
The Report has reflected the fact that DSD is seeking the engagement of its stakeholders through numerous channels such as Staff Suggestions Scheme; Consultative committees and discussion groups across the DSD; DSD Newsletter – Channel; Public seminars; Tender activities; Site visits; Experience sharing sessions; Construction Sites Safety and Housekeeping Award Scheme; Legislative Council meetings; District Council meetings; Seminars; Visits to DSD headquarters/facilities; Customer satisfaction surveys; Questionnaire surveys; Project briefing sessions; Meetings with environmental groups; Site visits to river channels; Inter-departmental meetings; Inter-departmental volunteer activities; Exhibitions; Educational programmes; Project website; Social media page; Leaflets; Newsletters; Community Liaison Centre; Briefing sessions; Virtual visit; Kai Tak River Trail; Online broadcast; Conference; Online carnival; and more.
DSD’s operation involves various methods of engaging its stakeholders on a daily basis. The Report covers economic, social and environmental aspects of concern to its stakeholders with a fair level of disclosure. In our professional opinion, DSD adheres to the principle of Inclusivity. Our view of areas for enhancement of the Report was adopted by DSD before the issue of this opinion statement.
DSD publishes sustainability information that enables its stakeholders to make informed judgments about the company’s management and performance. In our professional opinion, the Report adheres to the principle of Materiality and identifies DSD’s material aspects by using appropriate methods of materiality analysis and demonstrating material issues in a matrix form. Areas for enhancement of the Report were adopted by DSD before the issue of this opinion statement.
DSD has implemented practices that respond to the expectations and perceptions of its stakeholders. These include various surveys and feedback mechanisms for both internal and external stakeholders. In our professional opinion, DSD adheres to the principle of Responsiveness. Areas for enhancement of the Report were adopted by DSD before the issue of this opinion statement.
DSD has established processes to understand, measure and evaluate its impacts in qualitative and quantitative way. These processes enable DSD to assess its impact and disclose them in the Report. In our professional opinion, DSD adheres to the principle of Impact. Areas for enhancement of the Report were adopted by DSD before the issue of this opinion statement.
DSD provided us with their self-declaration of compliance with GRI Standards “In Accordance” – Core option.
Based on our verification review, we are able to confirm that social responsibility and sustainable development disclosures in all three categories (Environmental, Social and Economic) are reported in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option. In our professional opinion the report covers DSD’s social responsibility and sustainability issues. Areas for enhancement of the Report were adopted by DSD before the issue of this opinion statement.
The Type 1 Moderate Level of Assurance provided in our review is defined by the scope and methodology described in this statement.
It is the responsibility of DSD’s senior management to ensure that the information being presented in the Report is accurate. Our responsibility is to provide an independent assurance opinion statement to stakeholders giving our professional opinion based on the scope and methodology described.
The assurance team was composed of Lead Auditors, who are experienced in the industrial sector, and trained in a range of sustainability, environmental and social standards including GRI G3, GRI G3.1, GRI G4, GRI Standards, AA1000, HKEX ESG Guide, UNGC’s Ten Principles, ISO 20121, ISO 14064, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001, and ISO 10002, etc. British Standards Institution is a leading global standards and assessment body founded in 1901. The assurance is carried out in line with the BSI Fair Trading Code of Practice.
For and on behalf of BSI:
Mr Stephen YU
Chief Operating Officer – Hong Kong
China Operational Resilience Director
Verifier of the Report
Mr Aaron CHIM
Lead Assuror
Hong Kong
21st Dec, 2021
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