THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION DRAINAGE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Project Profile for Upgrading of Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works September 2019 Upgrading of Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works Project Profile TABLE OF CONTENT 1 BASIC INFORMATION .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Title ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose and Nature of the Project ......................................................................................... 1 1.3 Name of the Project Proponent .............................................................................................. 1 1.4 Location and Scale of Project and History of Site .................................................................. 1 1.5 Type of Designated Project Involved ...................................................................................... 2 1.6 Name and Telephone Number of Contact Person ................................................................. 3 2 OUTLINE OF PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME .................................. 4 2.1 Project Planning and Implementation ..................................................................................... 4 2.2 Project Programme ................................................................................................................. 4 2.3 Interaction with Other Projects ................................................................................................ 4 3 POSSIBLE IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 5 3.1 Outline Process Involved ........................................................................................................ 5 3.2 Construction Phase................................................................................................................. 5 3.3 Operation Phase ..................................................................................................................... 6 4 MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT ........................................ 9 4.1 General ................................................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................... 9 4.3 Noise ....................................................................................................................................... 9 4.4 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................... 9 4.5 Ecology ................................................................................................................................... 9 4.6 Fisheries ............................................................................................................................... 10 4.7 Land Contamination .............................................................................................................. 10 4.8 Landfill Contamination .......................................................................................................... 10 4.9 Landfill Gas ........................................................................................................................... 10 4.10 Potential Hazard ................................................................................................................... 10 4.11 Landscape and Visual Impact ............................................................................................... 11 4.12 Air and Noise Impacts from Traffic Generated ..................................................................... 11 4.13 Sites of Cultural Heritage ...................................................................................................... 11 5 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN AND ANY FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS ............... 12 5.1 General ................................................................................................................................. 12 5.2 Construction Phase............................................................................................................... 12 5.3 Operation Phase ................................................................................................................... 13 5.4 Comment on Possible Severity, Distribution and Duration of Environmental Effects ................................................................................................................................... 15 5.5 Further Implications .............................................................................................................. 15 6 USE OF PREVIOUSLY APPROVED EIA REPORTS ......................................................... 16 FIGURE FIGURE 1 SITE LOCATION PLAN FIGURE 2 DISCHARGE LOCATIONS OF TPSTW Sept 2019 Upgrading of Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works Project Profile 1 BASIC INFORMATION 1.1 Project Title 1.1.1.1 The title of this project is “Upgrading of Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works” (hereinafter referred to as the “Project”). 1.2 Purpose and Nature of the Project 1.2.1.1 The existing Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works (TPSTW) is located within Tai Po Industrial Estate (TPIE) and has undergone various stages of extension since it was first commissioned in 1979. Currently, the existing TPSTW is a secondary treatment works with a design capacity of 120 000 cubic metres per day (m3/day) in average dry weather flow (ADWF) serving TPIE, Tai Po, Lam Tsuen and Ting Kok areas. 1.2.1.2 The effluent after final sedimentation process is disinfected and subsequently conveyed by the effluent pumping station located in the existing TPSTW to the Kai Tak Nullah for disposal through the pipelines of the Tolo Harbour Effluent Export Scheme (THEES). 1.2.1.3 According to the latest flow projection and actual flow record from 2015 to 2018, there is a need for the upgrade of TPSTW to cope with the forecast increase in sewage flow due to housing development programme, industrial flow and potential additional centrate flow from co-digestion of imported sewage sludge and organic or pre-treated food waste. 1.2.1.4 Renewable energy is planned to be utilized for the internal use of the TPSTW. Should the amount of biogas produced creates a net surplus, there may be potential for the plant to supply the extra gas and electricity to The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) and CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP Power) under certain terms and conditions. 1.2.1.5 Key elements of the Project include: - a) Construction and operation of new treatment facilities, modification/demolition of the existing treatment facilities of TPSTW; b) providing effluent reuse facilities; and c) providing co-digestion facilities for imported sewage sludge and organic/pre-treated food waste. 1.3 Name of the Project Proponent 1.3.1.1 Sewerage Projects Division, Drainage Services Department (DSD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 1.4 Location and Scale of Project and History of Site 1.4.1.1 The location of the Project is shown in Figure 1. It is located at Dai Kwai Street within TPIE and bounded by Shuen Wan Restored Landfill (planned Shuen Wan Golf Course) at the East. In the vicinity, there are also Tai Po Gas Production Plant and 2 LPG Storage Installations, and the details will be discussed in Section 4. 1.4.1.2 With housing developments and the possibility of receipt of sewage sludge from the STW in eastern New Territories (e.g. the relocated Shatin STW) to co-digest with imported organic or pre-treated food waste, which is subject to further review in investigation stage, the projected average dry weather flow (ADWF) to TPSTW is approximate 160 000 m3/day. There is also potential to receive approx. 300 to 500 wet tonnes/day of organic or pre- treated food wastes through pipelines or tankers for co-digestion with sewage sludge. 1 Sept 2019 Upgrading of Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works Project Profile 1.4.1.3 Owing to the space limitation within the existing TPSTW and in order to maintain the sewage treatment services of the existing TPSTW which is almost fully utilized, a piece of government land to the south of the existing TPSTW (about 1.6 ha) is identified as the proposed expansion site for the Project. 1.4.1.4 Both the existing TPSTW and the expansion site fall within a zone “Other Specified Uses” annotated as “Sewage Treatment Works” under the approved Tai Po Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) No. S/TP/28 gazetted under Section 9(5) of Town Planning Ordinance on 31 August 2018. Planning permission/amendment to the existing zoning is not required for the sewerage upgrading works. Since organic waste / food waste pre-treatment facilities is outside the scope of the Project, planning permission from the Town Planning Board is not required. 1.4.1.5 The existing site of TPSTW, lot nos. GLA-TP 36 and GLA-TP 252, have been allocated to the DSD since 1977 and 1991 respectively for the purposes of sewage treatment works. The proposed modification and upgrading works within the existing TPSTW will fully comply with the engineering conditions. 1.4.1.6 The proposed expansion site is within government land and therefore, land resumption is not required. Currently the expansion site