The Government is committed to completing the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS) - Stage I in order to improve the water quality of the Victoria Harbour.

This was stated by the Director of Drainage Services, Mr John Collier, after signing two contracts for the project this (Monday) afternoon.

Under the first contract, a sewer system comprising two tunnels will be installed from Kwun Tong to Stonecutters Island. The other contract is for a sewer tunnel system from Chai Wan to Kwun Tong and from Tseung Kwan O to Kwun Tong.

"When the four sewer tunnels are completed by 2000, sewage collected from the Tseung Kwan O, Central and Eastern Kowloon, Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan areas will be conveyed to Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works," Mr Collier said.

The sewage will then be treated by a chemically enhanced sedimentation process before the effluent is discharged to sea through a submarine outfall.

"The flow of pollutants into the Victoria Harbour will be reduced by 70 per cent," he added.

Another two tunnels, from Kwai Chung to Stonecutters Island, are being constructed under a contract signed in July 1997.

The contracts today are for completing the SSDS - Stage I sewer tunnel system, the construction of which was suspended when the two previous contracts were forfeited by the Government in December 1996.

The contractor of the forfeited contracts claimed that the tunnels were impossible to construct, and suggested that other contractors would not be prepared to continue with the same specification.

"This has proved to be unfounded now that the Government has entered into contracts with experienced contractors who are committed to completing the works,"
Mr Collier said.

Gammon-Kvaerner Joint Venture will undertake the contract completing the sewer tunnel system from Kwun Tong to Stonecutters Island. Paul Y - SELI Joint Venture will undertake the other contract.

Works under these two contracts, at a total value of $1.348 billion, will start later this month.

End/Monday, January 12, 1998