[Drink water and think of the source] Let green technology reverse the fate of sewage

# Water pollution # Sewage treatment # New MOC hydrogel #Tpark # Turn waste into energy # Regenerated water # Recycled water # Sustainable development # Environmental protection # Victoria Harbor # Waterfront # Green technology

Research & Written by Tina Tang. Edited by Britney Lui, KV created by Cara Chow

【You Must Know Series】Last mentionedplastic recyclingHelp reduce solid waste in Hong Kong. But did you know that plastic also affects marine ecology? The equivalent of plastic entering the ocean every yearevery minuteDumping a garbage truck's waste into the ocean. The problems facing Hong Kong go beyond marine pollution. Since we were young, we have been taught to drink water and think of its source. Naturally, we know that Hong Kong is close to60%The source of drinking water comes from Dongjiang water. But did you know that the "source" of sewage also affects our water supply?

Do you know when Hong Kong began to suffer from water pollution? In the old Hong Kong of the 1970s, not only did the street flavor still exist, but Victoria Harbor was even more smelly. The reason is that Hong Kong contains multiple sources of sewage, lacks infrastructure for treating sewage, and lacks effective control. After repeated attempts by the Hong Kong government,"Harbor Purification Scheme"(Currently ongoing), ultimately, E. coli levels in Victoria Harbor seawater from 2016 to 2018 were significantly lower than those between 1997 and 200192.5%. past2018 and 2019, the water quality of Victoria Harbor meets the standards all year round.

according togovernment documents, Hong Kong still often faces the problem of excessive sewage discharge from various industries. The daily sludge produced in Hong Kong weighs equal to21,000An adult produces domestic sewage of up to2.8 million tons. Where are the sources of sewage hidden?

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The "keng canal mouth" turns out to be a source of pollution. How to solve the fishy smell at the seaside?

The "channel mouths" you see on the street are not actually used for sewage discharge! In fact, storm drains were originally only used to receive clean rainwater. However, citizens and businesses often pour sewage containing oil, food waste, chemical detergents, pesticides, etc. into the "pit drain mouths", causing the sewage to be discharged directly into the river, increasing the bacterial content of the available water, harming the natural ecology and Human health.

Have you noticed that water canals have been frequently repaired in Hong Kong in recent years? The stench of sea water you often smell is actually caused by the incorrect connection of sewers to storm drains, resulting in illegal discharge of sewage directly into the sea. Currently within the Victoria Harbor Control Area66%The sewerage problem was not corrected. In view of this, the Hong Kong government has focused on correcting incorrectly connected sewers in recent years to prevent sewage from flowing into storm drains.

Image source:Hong Kong University of Science and Technology page

Read more【You must know this series of articles to help you understand Hong Kong's light pollution and noise pollution

Control odor from the "source"

Also, there is a glue that can control odor! The Hong Kong government is expanding the use of new hydrogels researched by HKUST——Odor control hydrogel (MOC hydrogel). This hydrogel effectively reduces common sources of odor in water drains from 80 to 90%. More importantly, MOC hydrogel is safe, environmentally friendly, sustainable and has high economic benefits. Hydrogels can be widely used in toilet flushing and drainage systems,seaside, industrial waste treatment facilities, landfills, subdivided housing units, etc. The HKUST research team has also developed a new formula, AMGel, which can simultaneously kill bacteria and viruses in toilet flushing systems such as the new coronavirus Omicron variant strain. This new formula is participating in the "Public Sector Trial Scheme".

Image source:T PARK official website

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Hong Kong’s “Source District” that integrates architecture, education, and technology in a sustainable way

TPARK [source area] is the first advanced sludge treatment facility in Hong Kong, integrating sludge incineration, power generation, seawater desalination and sewage treatment, etc.technology

. The facility uses sewage sludge to convert into electricity, effectivelyTurn waste into energy

. Also, from the late French architectClaude Vasconihand ofarchitectural designconform tosustainable concept, and use energy-saving glass, reused materials, environmentally friendly bricks, etc. to reduce environmental damage. Source area changeGuided tour, providing citizens with a space for learning and entertainment, and deepening the public’s understanding of sustainable development.

Sewage sources can turn into water resources in seconds, and urine can turn into fine wine

Singapore has introduced water regeneration technology to achieve national water self-sufficiency. Local craft brewery Brewerkz partners with government in 2022 to brew from recycled urine into approx.$25 Hong Kong dollarsThe 95% Tropical Golden Ale is the "most environmentally friendly beer" in the history of sustainable development and vigorously promotes sustainable living. Hong Kong citizens are relatively resistant to using reclaimed water for drinking, so reclaimed water is used in Hong Kong's sewage treatment plantsplanting,Flush the toilet, on-site fish ponds and irrigation and other non-potable purposes.

Green construction reverses the fate of sewage

To sum up, in recent years, talents from all over the world have made a lot of contributions to sustainable development, popularizing the concept of sustainable development from all aspects of architecture, technology, and society. As one of the global cities, it is imperative for Hong Kong to promote sustainable development. Measures formulated with the concept of sustainable development not only solve the problem of water pollution, but also help the city go further! If reclaimed water can be widely used in the future, it will greatly increase water supply and give sewage reuse value!

There are other wonderful articles in the [You Must Know] series. If you are interested inLight pollution and noise pollution,plastic recycling,Hong Kong Paper Recycling Industry,Food waste disposal methodsIf you are interested, you may wish to read more