Practice Paper A Proposal to Use Reservoir as a Land Reserve for

Sr. Frederick Lai

BACKGROUND

Is Hong Kong really short of land supply?

During the 1970 to 1980s, the Government launched a huge new town programme to deal with the rapid population growth. In just 20 years, nine new towns were established (see Table 1). At present, the total population of these nine new towns is about 3.47 million, and is expected to reach 3.63 million by 20211. Among these new towns, only Tung Chung will expand further to accommodate another 144,000 people2. Therefore these new towns, in view of their imminent saturation, will certainly be unable to quench the severe housing shortage problem currently confronting Hong Kong society. Moreover, the current development plan only envisages smaller new areas, which would not relieve the housing shortage problem. Also, the slow planning and development approval process exacerbate the problem. The situation now is a long term under-supply of developable sites and expected continual rise in in private property prices beyond the reach of the ordinary people.

1 Civil Engineering and Development Department (2016), Hong Kong: The Facts - New Towns, New Development Areas and Urban Developments. 2 Accessed on 10 February 2017 at http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/whats/p20160616.html SBE 65 Practice Paper A Proposal to Use as a Land Reserve for Hong Kong

Population ('000) Area Residual Density Year of New Town & New Development Area (Hectare) Capacity (/Hectare) Commencement Planned Present

1 Tsuen Wan 3286 866 805 7.04% 264 70's

2 Sha Tin 3591 771 691 10.38% 215 70's

1st 1st Generation 3 3266 589 502 14.77% 180 70's

4 3006 307 278 9.45% 102 Late 70's

5 Fanling/Sheung Shui 667 290 261 10.00% 435 Late 70's

2nd Generation 6 561 185 164 11.35% 330 Late 70's

7 430 306 290 5.23% 712 70 - 80's

8 Tseung Kwan O 1718 445 396 11.01% 259 70 - 80's

Tung Chung including 3rd Generation 9 TC East/TC West extension 245 268 124 53.73% 1094 70 - 80's (under planning)

10 Kai Tak Development 318 87 274 2007

11 Anderson Road (under intake) 20 48 2400 2008 Anderson Road Quarry Site 12 40 25 625 2016 (under planning) Kwu Tung North, Fanling North 13 330 172 521 2017? (under planning) 2019? New Development Area 14 435 173 398 (under planning) Source of data: website of Civil Engineering and Development Department Table 1: Populations of New Towns and New Development Areas Table 1: Populations of New Towns and New Development Areas

An adequate land reserve needs to be identified for adequate long term land supply to keep property An adequate land reserve needs to and feasible long term land reserve. prices at reasonable levels. An analogy can be drawn by considering the Linked Exchange rate: If be identified for adequate long term Land-prices have caused many social 3 landHong Kongsupply does to not keep have property a foreign reserveprices of severalproblems hundreds in Hong of billion Kong, (USD) including, it will be atdifficult reasonable to keep alevels. stable linked An exchangeanalogy rate.can Therefore difficulties the key forto the family Hong Kongformation property due price to beis not drawn just an by announced considering target supplythe Linked for the nextcostly year, buthome also purchase; the existence social of a knowndisparity, and Exchangefeasible long rate: term land If Hong reserve. Kong Land-prices does have lack caused of manyupward social mobility problems channel in Hong for Kong, the not have a foreign reserve of several younger generation, people becoming including difficulties for family formation due to costly home purchase; social disparity, lack of hundreds of billion (USD)3, it will “flat slaves”, shrinking of industries and beupward difficult mobility to channel keep for a thestable younger linked generation, businesses, people becoming etc. The“flat slaves”,solution shrinking to most of exchangeindustries and rate. businesses, Therefore etc. Thethe solutionkey to theto most ofof these problems problems lies inlies an effectivein an effective policy of Hongstabilizing Kong property property prices throughprice isassuring not just abundant policy long term of landstabilizing supply. property prices an announced target supply for the next through assuring abundant long term

year, but also the existence of a known land supply.

3 3 “The“The Hong Hong Kong MonetaryKong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Authority announced today (Thursday) that the official foreign currency reserve assets(HKMA) of Hong announced Kong amounted today to US$413.7(Thursday) billion that as the at the end of August 2017.” (HKMA 2017) official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$413.7 billion as at the 2 end of August 2017.” (HKMA 2017)

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A PROPOSED PROJECT This may appear be contentious if one does not understand the situation of With an area of only 1,100 sq. km and water supply in Hong Kong. In the a hilly terrain, Hong Kong is short of analysis of converting the Plover Cove usable land (the total is about 210 sq. Reservoir into a new town, the first key km or 21,000 hectares only). According issue is its impact on the water supply. to published government sources, from If the proposal would cause to a water 1950 to 2017, a total of 6,318 hectares shortage in Hong Kong, it should be of land in Hong Kong were produced abandoned. Would reclaiming the by reclamation of the sea, accounting Plover Cove Reservoir jeopardize the for about 30% of the usable land4. As water supply for the population? Let the role of reservoirs in portable water us examine this question from different supply is diminishing, the author has angles. come up with a bold proposal to reclaim some land from a major reservoir, 1. Will the construction of a new town itself reclaimed from the sea, to build impact on the collection and storage affordable, dignified and comfortable of rainwater? homes for citizens, and construct a It is clear that the construction of smart, green and eco-friendly new the New Town will not in any way town. affect the size or ecology of the The Plover Cove Reservoir has an area water catchment. Therefore, there of about 1,200 hectares5. Based on a will be no impact on the capability plot ratio of 2, it is estimated that the of rainwater collection. reclaimed land could provide 300,000 The total storage capacity of all flats of 650 sq. ft., plus 65 million sq. reservoirs in HK is 586 million ft. for non-domestic purpose such as 3 6 m , while the average rainwater commercial buildings, public facilities, collected for the past 10 years was research centers, university campus, 3 7 246 million m per year . Therefore, hospitals, shopping malls, etc. The even if we take away the 230 total land value could be up to $775 3 8 million m capacity of the Plover billion, assuming average land price at Cove Reservoir, there would be still $3,000 per sq. ft. This amount would enough storage capacity elsewhere be sufficient to build all the necessary to contain the entire rainwater rails, highways, cross-sea tunnels, collection. as well as site formation works and infrastructure construction. 6 Water Supplies Department (2016) Hong Kong: The Facts – Water Supplies. 4 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at https://www.hku. 7 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www. hk/press/press-releases/detail/16599.html. wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/total-water- 5 Practice Notes and Publications - Major management-strategy/local-yield/index.html Reservoirs of the Survey and Mapping Office. 8 See note 6, supra. SBE 67 Practice Paper A Proposal to Use Plover Cove Reservoir as a Land Reserve for Hong Kong

For the year 2015/16, the total Dongjiang (Eastern River) Water rainwater collected was 270 million and rainwater. If the daily water m3, 9 with the Plover Cove and High supply were interrupted, the reserve Island Reservoirs accounting for would be utilized. According to the 138 million m3. Assuming these two Water Supplies Department, “The reservoirs have a similar catchment total storage capacity of Hong capacity, the Plover Cove Reservoir Kong’s impounding reservoirs, should have collected about 70 comprising two reservoirs million m3 rainwater. With 280 constructed by damming the sea and million m3 capacity and average 15 conventional reservoirs, is 586 water storage at 72%, the High million m3. When they are 100% Island Reservoir has a residual full, the storage can meet about 6 capacity of 78 million m3, thus it months’ demand of Hong Kong.”11 alone can accommodate all the For the sake of risk management, we rainwater collected by the Plover need to consider the worst scenario: Cove Reservoir. assuming the three reservoirs (Plover Cove, and Tai Due to the huge surface area of the Lam Chung) receiving Dongjiang Plover Cove Reservoir, every year Water are also contaminated, the 3 10 it loses about 15 million m water , total water storage of the remaining or about one-fifth of the rainwater 14 reservoirs has a mere 54.7 collection, due to evaporation. If million m3 12 and can only last for 20 all rainwater is transferred to the days. Under this stress test, despite , 15 million claiming a total of 586 million m3 3 m rainwater will be saved due to its reserve, the HK water system is much smaller surface area. incredibly fragile. Developing a new source of water supply for Hong 2. Will the construction of the New Kong is much needed to build up a Town impact on the reserve of the long-term resilience. reservoirs? In April 2015, water storage of most Currently, Hong Kong has only reservoirs dropped to the lowest two sources of water supply: point in 10 years’. Apart from the three reservoirs receiving Dongjiang 9 See note 6, supra. Water, the other reservoirs had 10 Annual average evaporation for 2007-2016 in about 20-30% of capacity. Thus, in Hong Kong is 1244mm. The total evaporation of Plover Cove Reservoir with a surface area of 12km2 would be 14.93 million m3. Average evaporation is derived from evaporation data of 11 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www.wsd. Climate Change in Hong Kong of Hong Kong gov.hk/en/core-businesses/operation-and- Observatory. Accessed on 28 July 2017 at maintenance-of-waterworks/waterworks/index. http://www.hko.gov.hk/cis/monthlyElement_ html e.htm?ele=EVAPO 12 See note 6. Supra. SBE 68 Surveying and Built Environment Vol 26(1), 111-117 March 2018 ISSN 1816-9554

the worst scenario, if the reservoirs total storage of 54.7 million m3 of containing Dongjiang Water were the remaining 14 reservoirs would contaminated, and the storage of be able to support a longer period all other reservoirs is about 30% of 29 days to meet the 70% water of 54.7 million m3 or a mere 16.4 usage. More importantly, the three million m3, the water reserve would desalination plants could continue to last for 6 days only. In other words, supply 30% of water usage during Hong Kong cannot afford any delay this emergency period. So this is a in the development of new sources more secure alternative thanks to of water! risk diversification.

The author suggests that the 3. Will the construction of the New development of a Plover Cove Town impact on the capacity of the New Town is tied in with the reservoirs to receive the Dongjiang construction of two desalination Water? plants. Taking into account the ultimate water production capacity Recent discussions with engineers of the Tseung Kwan O Desalination affirmed that the Dongjiang Water Plant13, the annual production would not enter HK’s water of the 3 plants could reach 300 supply system directly. Before million m3 each year, providing being transferred to the treatment 30% of water usage for HK on a plants, the Water is stored in three sustainable basis. In the case of total reservoirs for an observation period suspension of Dongjiang Water due for risk control. Essentially, Hong to contamination or water shortage Kong can only rely on collected in Mainland, the total 356 million rainwater to mix with the Dongjiang m3 of all Hong Kong reservoirs Water. These 3 reservoirs have a (excluding Plover Cove) could last total rainwater collection of about 3 14 for 188 days to meet the 70% water 160 million m , therefore the High usage; this is similar to the 6-month Island and Tai Lam Chung alone period mentioned above. can already provide the capacity to receive and/or stabilize the Under the worst scenario with Dongjiang Water. two new desalinisation plants, if reservoirs (High Island and Tai 4. Will the construction of the New Lam Chung) containing Dongjiang Town impact on the water supply Water were also contaminated, the system of Hong Kong? The water supply system of Hong 13 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www. Kong is very well developed wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/major- infrastructure-projects/tko-desalination-plant/ index.html 14 See note 6. Supra. SBE 69 Practice Paper A Proposal to Use Plover Cove Reservoir as a Land Reserve for Hong Kong

in terms of the delivery and (25%), which is a better strategy for distribution. Due to its location, the long-term risk control. According Plover Cove Reservoir has a central to the Water Resources Group of role in the overall supply system, World Economic Forum, by 2030, with 2 huge pumping stations and a the Pearl River Basin will face a network of tunnels for distributing shortfall of 23% in water supply, the Dongjiang Water to other a shortage of 28 billion m3.15 As a reservoirs, including the High Island coastal city, Hong Kong has obvious Reservoir. As the New Town plans geographical advantages to develop to retain 600 hectares of the water desalination. As a part of the global area of Plover Cove Reservoir, the village, Hong Kong should bear the above mentioned infrastructure will carbon emission burden, instead of not be affected. pushing this to the inland cities of the Guangdong Province. 5. Water Desalination by Reverse Osmosis (Figure 1)

The development of the New Town will not lead to importing more Dongjiang Water. The New Town, aiming to house 10% of the population, will implement various environmental friendly measures, such as large-scale tree planting, grey water recycling, rainwater harvesting, etc. This will result in reducing the overall water Figure 1: Water Desalination by consumption of Hong Kong as Reverse Osmosis well as lowering the import of the Dongjiang Water. In addition to the 6. Is the project compatible with desalination plant in Tseung Kwan the Government’s Total Water O, the development of the Plover Management Strategy? (Figure 2) Cove New Town are as mentioned accompanied by the construction of The Total Water Management 2 more desalination plants, bringing Strategy of the Water Supplies the total annual production of fresh Department has the following water to 300 million m3 by these description, “increasing risk plants. The supply of water can of drought events and larger then be diversified across three

sources: Dongjiang Water (45%), 15 Accessed on 1 May 2017 at www3.weforum. desalination (30%) and rainwater org/docs/WEF/WRG_Background_Impact_ and_Way_Forward.pdf. SBE 70 Surveying and Built Environment Vol 26(1), 111-117 March 2018 ISSN 1816-9554

variability in year-to-year rainfall The Project aims to enhance water due to climate change which would supply resources via desalination affect the yield both locally and and implement large scale in the basin of Dongjiang (DJ), grey water recycling/rainwater and competition for DJ water harvesting; therefore it is fully resources among other major cities compatible with the Total Water in Guangdong, including Huizhou, Management Strategy. Dongguan and Shenzhen, serving altogether 40 million people. One of the key supply management initiatives is to diversify the water supply resources to develop new water resources.

Under the Total Water Management strategy, therefore, Hong Kong Figure 2: Moving towards a 6-Pronged should broaden its strategic Water Supply Structure17 investment in advanced water treatment such as the reverse 7. Will the construction of the New osmosis (RO) technology for Town impact on the overflow of desalination plant, not affected reservoirs? by climate change. The project will provide the first stage of the Overflows mainly occur in small proposed seawater desalination to medium impounding reservoirs, plant using reverse osmosis at which were built between the end Tseung Kwan O (TKO) Area of the 19th century and the middle 137. The plant will have a water of the 20th century. As these production capacity up to 270,000 reservoirs were designed to meet m3 per day or 98,550,000 m3 the water needs then, they featured per year. The Water Supplies relatively small storage capacities Department (WSD) awarded on and are prone to overflow in times 16 November 2015 a consultancy of persistently heavy rainstorms agreement worth $180 million to in the rainy season. As there is no Black & Veatch Hong Kong Limited Inter-Reservoirs Transfer Scheme in for the investigation review, design between Plover Cove Reservoir and and construction of the first stage these small to medium impounding of the proposed desalination plant at Tseung Kwan O with capacity of 135,000 cubic metres per day.”16 wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/total-water- management-strategy/index.html 17 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www.wsd. gov.hk/en/home/climate-change/adapting/ 16 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www. index.html SBE 71 Practice Paper A Proposal to Use Plover Cove Reservoir as a Land Reserve for Hong Kong

reservoirs, the Plover Cove Assuming residential and Reservoir scheme proposed has no commercial buildings have 20 effect on the overflow of reservoirs. storeys on average, site coverage would be less than 20% of the 8. Will the construction of the New reclaimed area. As all car lanes and Town impact on the beautiful Plover transport can be accommodated Cove environment? (Figures 3, 4 & underground, the aboveground area 5) will be pedestrian zone, surrounded by parks, lake and green belt. This The plan intends to retain HALF green and eco city will greatly the surface area or 600 hectares enhance the recreational facilities in for open space and water area. the area. The circumference of the town will be lined with a 30-meter wide While the Reservoir is located green buffer zone, providing a within the Plover Cove Country 20-kilometer cycling and jogging Park, only about 1/3 of its area trail that completely encircles the along the lake side can be accessed town. via the road on top of the main dam and the Bride’s Pool Road. The main dam and all the recreational facilities along the There is no human activity on the Bride’s Pool Road will remain remaining water surface. unchanged. The development on the 600 hectares group of artificial In fact, the New Town, with islands will assume a plot ratio 4 800,000 population, can come with and 3:1 ratio for residential/non- eco-friendly design. For example, residential area. a buffer zone can be retained along the lake side and water canals can To take advantage of the 20m depth run through the whole area. The of the Plover Cove Reservoir, central park can be as big as 25 basement to a depth of 3 storeys can hectares, comparable to the scale of be built to house non-residential the Victoria Park. The buffer zone facilities such as public amenities, can provide a jogging and cycling research centres, university campus, track of more than 20km. This hospitals, shopping malls, mass Project can actually provide much transport, freight lanes, car parks, more leisure space than the present, sewage treatment plants, refuse in terms of quantity and quality. collection points, building services machine rooms, district cooling system, etc.

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The Plover Cove Reservoir was built 50 years ago for the benefit of the population. After 50 years, it can contribute to the society again by releasing valuable land resource to provide homes for 300,000 families or 800,000 people in Hong Kong.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is essential to support Figure 3: Conceptual Master Plan of this smart new town, which is expected Plover Cove New Town to provide housing for 800,000 people. During the initial phase, a rail and a highway can be built connecting Plover Cove New Town with Wu Kai Sha, Ma On Shan, via a tunnel across the .

Enhanced Rail System (Figure 6)

Following the distribution of population Figure 4: Cross Section of the Plover growth, the railway can extend Cove New Town northwards to Sha Tau Kok, adding an additional land crossing to China by train. Or, it can simply extend to the west connecting Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, to provide rail service for the new development at Queen’s Hill and Fanling North New Development Areas and for cross-border passengers via Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu.

Figure 5: Perspective of the Plover To ease the burden of the East Rail Cove New Town Line, this new north-south rail route has the potential to link up Ma On Shan with Tseung Kwan O, via Sai Kung and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. As a result, passengers on the island side will be able to take the MTR to via North

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Point, Tseung Kwan O, HKUST, Sai IMPACT ON THE Kung, Ma On Shan, Plover Cove New ECOLOGICAL Town, Queen’s Hill, Fanling North and ENVIRONMENT Sheng Shui as shown on Figure 5. “Reservoirs in Hong Kong are man- made water bodies, usually enclosed by dams in valleys or sea inlets – and fed by water from the surrounding hill streams and catchwaters, and also by water piped in from mainland China. They provide various types of aquatic habitat, ranging from shallow and bushy marginal zones, to deep and open water, which cater to the needs of various freshwater fish, including some rare species. For example, Figure 6: Hong Kong Railway Network Kowloon Reception Reservoir harbours 19 species, including rare ones Highways like Rhodeus ocellatus, Rasborinus From the Plover Cove New Town, the formosae and Rasborinus lineatus, highway can extend to the northwest while supports the locally rare Mastacembelus armatus via Kwai Tau Leng to Tan Chuk 18 Hang, then link up the new highway of and Oryzias curvinotus.” AFCD did Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary not mention a unique rare species found Control Point. This will complete a in the Plover Cove Reservoir. new north-south route as shown on The Reservoir itself is not a natural Figure 7. ecology or a unique eco-system. Most species can be found in other ponds and reservoirs. Moreover, the water inflow from Dongjiang has imported the golden mussel, an invasive species,19 causing harm to the pipes. Therefore the foreseeable impact on the ecological environment should be minor compared to reclaiming land from the sea, in view of its far richer marine ecology.

Figure 7: Hong Kong Road Network 18 Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www.afcd. gov.hk/english/conservation/hkbiodiversity/ speciesgroup/ speciesgroup.html 19 Xu (2015) Limnoperna Fortunei. Invading SBE Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology. 74 Surveying and Built Environment Vol 26(1), 111-117 March 2018 ISSN 1816-9554

CONCLUSION Development Areas and Urban Developments. The Plover Cove New Town can provide an option as a readily available Civil Engineering and Development abundant land reserve for Hong Kong. Department (2016), “CEDD awards Compared to other proposals, it has consultancy agreement for Tung Chung large development scale (equivalent New Town Extension (East),” Accessed to the total area of all brownfield on 10 February 2017 at http://www. sites) and highly accommodative. cedd.gov.hk/eng/whats/p20160616. It can provide sufficient capital for html. developing a resident area with eco- Hong Kong Monetary Authority design, smart technology and leisure (2017), Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign space. Moreover, it will not involve Currency Reserve Assets Figures any issue of land resumption, clearance Released [Press Release], Accessed on and compensation. Upon adjusting the 7 September 2017 at http://www.hkma. water supply system, the Government gov.hk/eng/key-information/press- can immediately start the project, with releases/2017/20170907-3.shtml. full control of the development pace. Survey and Mapping Office (2013), The author urges the Government to be “Practice Notes and Publications - committed to this Project, which can Major Reservoirs,” Accessed on 28 bring about abundant land reserve to July 2017 at http://www.landsd.gov.hk/ Hong Kong, hence stabilizing the land mapping/en/publications/ reservoirs. price and property price in the long htm. term. The Plover Cove New Town, the comfort home for 800,000 people, The Government of Hong Kong should be implemented without delay. Special Administrative Region (2017), LCQ8: Management of water resources REFERENCES [Press Release], Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/ general/201706/07/P2017060600710. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation htm. Department (2017), “HK Species,” Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http:// The University of Hong Kong (2017), www.afcd.gov.hk/english/conservation/ HKU Ronald Coase Centre for Property hkbiodiversity/speciesgroup/ Rights Research releases Report on speciesgroup.html. the Long Term New Land Production [Press Civil Engineering and Development Mechanisms and Strategies Release], Accessed on 28 July 2017 Department (May 2016), Hong at www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/ Kong: The Facts - New Towns, New detail/16599.html.

SBE 75 Practice Paper A Proposal to Use Plover Cove Reservoir as a Land Reserve for Hong Kong

Water Supplies Department (2016), Economic Forum Annual Meeting Hong Kong: The Facts – Water 2012, Accessed on 1 May 2017 at Supplies, May 2016. www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF/WRG_ Background_Impact _and_Way_ Water Supplies Department (2016), Forward.pdf. “Annual Net Yield of 2007 – 2016,” Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http:// Xu, Mengzhen (2015), Distribution www.wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/ and Spread of Limnoperna fortunei total-water-management-strategy/local- in China. In: D. Boltovskoy (Ed.), yield/index.html. Limnoperna Fortunei, Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology, Water Supplies Department (2017), Vol. 10, pp 313– 320, https://doi. “Impounding Reservoirs,” Accessed org/10.1007/978-3-319-13494-9_17. on 28 July 2017 at http://www.wsd. gov.hk/en/core-businesses/operation- and-maintenance-of-waterworks/ waterworks/index.html.

Water Supplies Department (2017), “Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant,” Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http:// www.wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/ major-infrastructure-projects/tko- desalination-plant/index.html.

Water Supplies Department (2017), “Total Water Management Strategy 2008,” Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/core- businesses/total-water-management- strategy/index.html.

Water Supplies Department (2017), “Long-term planning for water security,” Accessed on 28 July 2017 at http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/home/ climate-change/adapting/index.html.

World Economic Forum (2012), “The Water Resources Group: Background, Impact and the Way Forward,” Briefing Report prepared for the World

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