Major Environmental Problems

Land Solid Waste

Contamination Disposal Water Pollution

Water Pollution Control Noise Pollution Air Pollution

Professor Irene M. C. Lo, PhD, FHKIE, FASCE

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
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Water Resources Hong Kong Water Supply

Major Sources for Water Supply (1) Potable water (from surface water)
River water
Lake/reservoir water
} Surface water At present 99.9% of population receive metered water
supply.
Groundwater 20% from local catchments and 80% from Dongjiang
(East river), Guangdong.
Sea water
(2) Flushing water (from seawater)

Introduced in 1958, at present we have > 80% of

Which one is the major source of water in Hong Kong? population receiving seawater for flushing.

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Local per capita Consumption Seawater for Flushing

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Hong Kong Water Supply

☺ 17 reservoirs
☺ 20 water treatment works
☺ 143 pumping stations

East Dam of High Island

Reservoir (萬宜水庫東壩)

Nearby East Dam, many

hexagonal columnar joints
(巨大的六角形節理岩柱)-
National Geopark

☺ The present total reservoir capacity is 586 million cubic

meters.
☺ Water treatment capacities is 4.55 million cubic meters per
day.
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 Typical Fresh Water System

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What is the prime concern of Dongjiang River?

Water Quality
9 Urbanization and human population growth;
9 Unplanned land use;
9 Illegal discharge and dredging;
9 Soil erosion and non‐point source discharges.

Inhabited by 1.5 million

people and more than 6,000
factories (Francesch, 2002)

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 Water Treatment (1/2)
• A journey of water between water sources and your tap.

Water Treatment Customer

Sources Facility Tap

• The tasks involved depend on the raw water quality and

acceptance of the finishing water quality.

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Water Treatment (1/2) Water Treatment Works (1/2)

What are the objectives of water

treatment?

9 Providing chemically and microbiologically Disinfection

safe, pleasant, and economic water for

human consumption.
Sedimentation

9 Aesthetically acceptable – free from

apparent turbidity, color, odor, and
objectionable taste.

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 Water Treatment Works (2/2) Hong Kong Drinking Water Standard
• In Hong Kong, the 2011 World Health Organization
Clean water
(WHO) Guidelines for Drinking‐water Quality is used
chamber
for design, operation, and maintenance of water supply.
Total Coli1) 0-10/100 mL Turbidity 5 NTU
Nitrate-N 10 mg N/L pH 6.5-8.5

1 TDS* 1000 mg/L Sodium 200 mg/L

Fluoride 1.5 mg/L Chloride 200 mg/L
2 Sulfate 250 mg/L Aluminum 0.2 mg/L
Arsenic 0.01 mg/L Zinc 3.0 mg/L
3 Cadmium 0.003 mg /L Chromium 0.05 mg/L
Copper 1.0 mg/L Cyanide 0.07 mg/L
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Iron 0.3 mg/L Lead 0.01 mg/L
5 Manganese 0.1 mg/L Mercury 0.001 mg/L
THMs** 0.1 mg/L Benzene 0.01 mg/L
What is the Hong Kong drinking water standard? 1) E. Coli concentration should be N.D. (not detectable)
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Water Becomes Wastewater After Use Collecting and Treating Sewage (Wastewater)

Storm Water and

Sewage Collection

Sewage treatment plant in Shatin

Treated wastewater be discharged to
Water Control Zones

Procedures of treating wastewater

Sewage charging: $2.05 per cubic metre of water used

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Sewage Treatment Works (Wastewater
Treatment Plants) in HK
Treatment Sea Water Blend-
Scheme in Percentage
Stonecutters Island Chemically About 25%
STW enhanced primary
Sha Tin STW secondary 30%
Tai Po STW Secondary 30%
Shek Wu Hui STW Secondary Nil
Yuen Long STW secondary Nil
Stanley STW Secondary Nil
Sai Kung STW secondary Nil
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● Sizing a circular primary sedimentation tank

Wastewater Effluent Standard in HK
Example: A wastewater treatment plant is to be designed for the wastewater from
a new town of 30,000 persons. What should be the dimensions (area & height)
of the circular primary sedimentation? Constituent MCL* Constituent MCL*
a) Assuming that
→ Town water use is ~600 L/d/capita pH 6-9 TN (mg/L) 50-100
→ Town wastewater production is ~ 500 L/d/capita (80–85% of water used )
→ Flow rate for 30,000 people is 15,000,000 L/d or 15,000 m3/d. SS (mg/L) 30-50 TP (mg/L) 5-10
b) Assuming that the overflow rate is 20 m3/(d·m2) BOD (mg/L) 20-50 Metals ?
Overflow rate = Flow rate / Area COD (mg/L) 80-100 Chemicals ?
Area of circular tank = 15,000 m3/d/ 20 m3/(d·m2) = 750 m2 Oil & Grease 20-30 E. coli (count 5,000
c) Assuming the required hydraulic residence time is 2.5 hour (mg/L) /100 mL)
Hydraulic residence time = Volume / Flow rate • MCL: Maximum contaminant level
• BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Volume of circular tank = 2.5 hour x 15,000 m3/d = 1562.5 m3 • COD: Chemical Oxygen Demand
• TN: Total Nitrogen
d) Height = Volume / area = 1562.5 m3 / 750 m2 = 2.1 m 23
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• TP: Total Phosphorus
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
☺ Definition: the amount of oxygen required by microbes
The determination of COD gives the overall to aerobically degrade aqueous organic wastes.
level of organic wastes. Organic matter + O2 ⎯Microorgan
⎯ ⎯ ⎯isms ⎯→ CO2 + H 2O + New cells +
Stable products (NO 3 , PO 4 , SO 4 ,...)

The organic concentration in the water sample is ☺However, it takes forever to completely degrade
organic matter (referred to ultimate BOD (BODU)).
measured by quantifying the equivalent amount of
☺ Therefore, 5-day BOD (BOD5) is commonly used for such
oxygen required to oxidize organic matter using assessment.
strong oxidizing agent (i.e., potassium ☺BOD5: The amount of oxygen consumed by
dichromate). microorganisms during the first 5 days of
biodegradation.

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Example

PAST EFFORT OF DRAINAGE SERVICES

DEPARTMENT, HKSAR
IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

14 MIN VIDEO

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Campus of Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Thank you

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