Hong Kong sewage treatment facility leaking waste into waters off Sai Kung after being damaged in Typhoon Mangkhut
Residents warned to avoid five beaches and environmentalists express serious concerns as officials say repairing the damage could take months
Sewage has been leaking into the sea in “Hong Kong’s back garden” of Sai Kung as a treatment facility there was damaged when Typhoon Mangkhut battered the city over the weekend, authorities warned on Thursday.
Elsewhere, three sections of water mains in Southern District on Hong Kong Island had also broken, leading to “the discharge of sewage”, according to officials.
While drainage officials said it could take months to repair the Sai Kung facility, they estimated they would need three weeks to fix the pipes in Southern District and warned the public to stay away from at least five of the beaches nearby for the meantime: the popular Deep Water Bay and Shek O in Southern District, and Kiu Tsui Beach, Hap Mun Beach and Trio Beach in Sai Kung.
The five beaches have been closed since Monday due to the need to clean up the debris and repair shark prevention nets after the typhoon.
Environmentalists warned of possible disaster to the marine life off Sai Kung if the problem lingers.
