Sewerage Master Plan Reviews

Harbour Area Treatment Scheme

The Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) is an overall sewage collection, treatment and disposal scheme for areas on both sides of Victoria Harbour.

Stage One of HATS was brought into operation in late 2001. It comprises the collection of sewage from the whole of Kowloon peninsula, Kwun Tong, Tseung Kwan O, Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, the Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan areas of Hong Kong Island which is then transferred to Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works for chemically-enhanced primary treatment. This accounts for 75% of the total flow from the whole HATS catchment.

In 2001 and 2002, the Government commissioned a number of studies and trials to investigate in detail four options for the further development of this sewerage system to collect sewage from the remaining parts of the Hong Kong Island, that is, HATS Stage Two. The studies and trials were completed in 2004 and a major public consultation exercise on the way forward for the scheme was conducted between June and November 2004. About 80% of the people that returned comments indicated their preference for implementation of the Stage Two as soon as possible.

In both Policy Addresses in 2005, it was announced that the Government would pursue the phased implementation of Stage Two with the aim of completing Stage 2A by 2013-14, and advancing the provision of disinfection at the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works, subject to the acceptance by the community of the need for the full operating costs to be recovered through the sewage services charging scheme. Stage 2A will expand the existing Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works to cater for the additional flows from the remaining areas of Hong Kong Island and Stage 2B will further expand the plant by adding biological treatment units. The timing for Stage 2B will be subject to further review at a later date.