An introduction to the history of sewage treatment in Hong Kong
2014 marked the Hong Kong Drainage Services Department’s 25th anniversary.
1850 In the latter half of the 19th century Hong Kong adopted a ‘combined drainage and sewerage system’, using storm water to wash away sewage into water bodies. With a population of less than 100,000 at that time, domestic sewage did not cause substantial imp act to the ecology of rivers and coast. To the average citizens, rainstorms were more of a concern than sewage discharge and in the absence of flood prevention infrastructure, storm water runoff often posed a threat to lives.(1)
1900s The urban population grew at the turn of the century. In order to tackle hygienic issues arising from the combined system, the Government began to build the ‘separate drainage and sewerage systems’ in the early 20th century splitting the original system into two independent ones.
1950s – 1960s As time went by, the draining system could not catch up with decades of societal development.
Sources:
- dnaDrainage Services Department, Hong Kong