For discussion EC(96-97)3
on 10 April 1996
ITEM FOR ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 46 - GENERAL EXPENSES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
Subhead 080 Recoverable salaries and allowances
(Sewage Services Trading Fund)
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the creation of the following permanent post in the Drainage Services Department -
1 Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer
(D1) ($80,450 - $85,400)
The Director of Drainage Services (D of DS) needs additional directorate support to manage the operation and maintenance of sewage collection, treatment and disposal facilities under the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS).
2. The D of DS proposes to create a permanent post of Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (CEME) (D1) to head a second Sewage Treatment Division in the Drainage Services Department (DSD).
3. Since DSD was established in 1989, a Government Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (D2) has been in post to oversees the Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) Branch of the department. He has two CEMEs under him. One of them heads the E&M Projects Division for the design and construction of new E&M installations. The other heads the Sewage Treatment Division for the operation and maintenance of commissioned installations such as sewage treatment facilities and flood pumping stations.
4. With the progressive implementation of Sewage Master Plans (SMPs) and the SSDS, the number of E&M installations has increased from 107 in 1989 to 201 in 1996. These include a series of sewage pumping stations in the southern part of Hong Kong Island, the Stanley Sewage Treatment Works and the Kwai Chung Sewage Screening Plant. The volume of sewage handled has correspondingly increased from 385 million cubic metres to 715 million cubic metres a year during the same period. The number of staff has also increased from 586 to 740 in order to operate and maintain the installations on a 24-hour basis. In addition, the Sewage Treatment Division has recently taken charge of a research and development initiative specifically tasked to examine process modifications due to higher standards of effluent discharge demanded by the Environmental Protection Department and increasing use of sea water by the Water Supplies Department as flushing water, which causes unstable biological conditions in our sewage treatment works. The workload of the CEME who heads the Division has reached a level that any further major increase like the High Priority Programme (HHP)(Enclosure 1) to be commissioned progressively by mid 1996 will be beyond his management capacity.
5. We expect that full implementation of the HPP in 1997, in particular the SSDS Stage I, will significantly increase the department's operation and maintenance workload. By that time, we will have a total of 240 sewage treatment and flood installations and an additional sewage treatment capacity of 629 million cubic metres a year. D of DS estimates that the CEME will then have 239 supporting staff to operate, administer and maintain the chemically assisted sedimentation process and the heavy plant and equipment installed under the HPP. In order to provide adequate direction and supervision to the operation and maintenance of these important facilities which will to be commissioned in phases as from mid-1996, D of DS considers it necessary to revamp the present staffing organisation.
6. D of DS proposes to split the present Sewage Treatment Division into two, namely Sewage Treatment Division 1 and Sewage Treatment Division 2, with eeach Division headed by a CEME. The existing Sewage Treatment Division will be made Sewage Treatment Division 1. It will continue to operate and maintain existing facilities, with the exception of the seven preliminary treatment works which fall within the SSDS catchment area. The existing CEME, to be designated CEME/Sewage Treatment 1, will head a Division with an establishment of 649 posts. A new division, Sewage Treatment Division 2, will operate and maintain the electrical and mechanical elements of the new sewage facilities to be built under the SSDS Stage I. It will take over the maintenance of the seven preliminary treatment works falling within the SSDS catchment area. It will have a staff complement of 90 non-directorate posts from the original Sewage Treatment Division as well as 149 additional non-directorate posts which D of DS will create in stages in accordance with the commissioning programme of the HPP projects. Sewage Treatment Division 1 will have a larger establishment because it will be responsible for a larger sewage catchment area and it will need to operate and maintain the very large secondary treatment works in that area. Sewage Treatment Division 2 will have a smaller staffing complement as it will deals with major new sewage treatment facilities centrally located in the coastal region around the Victoria Harbour.
7. In view of the complexity and scope of the installations to be maintained, D of DS considers that the Sewage Treatment Division 2 should be headed by an experienced professional at the rank of CEME (D1), to be designated CEME/Sewage Treatment 2. He will manage and co-ordinate the operation and maintenance activities for all facilities developed or upgraded under the HPP. He will also develop and implement policies relating to the operation and maintenance of sewage treatment facilities under the SSDS Stage 1 and any subsequent stages, so that the plants and facilities can operate with optimum efficiency and comply with the required environmental protection standards. In order to formulate new operations, training and safety procedures for taking over maintenance and operation of the complex treatment facilities and to train up staff to familiarise themselves with the system design, installation and equipment testing of the new facilities, D of DS proposes to create the proposed CEME post now. An organisation chart of the Department is at Enclosure 2. Job descriptions for the two CEME posts heading the two Divisions after the split are at Enclosures 3 and 4, respectively.
8. The additional notional annual salary cost of this proposal at MID-POINT is $994,200. The full annual average staff cost of the proposal, including salaries and staff on-cost, is $1,917,804. There are no other additional staffing and financial implications. We shall recover the full salary cost, including on-cost, from the Sewage Services Trading Fund (SSTF).
9. We established the SSTF on 11 March 1994. With effect from 1 April 1995, the SSTF meets the full cost of DSD staff working exclusively on sewage activities. For this purpose, Finance Committee approved, on 9 June 1995, the creation of a new Recurrent Account Subhead Recoverable salaries and allowances (Sewage Services Trading Fund) under Head 46 General Expenses of the Civil Service. For staff undertaking functions which support both sewage and non-sewage activities, we apportion their costs attributable to the SSTF on the basis of the relative time spent on these activities.
10. The Civil Service Branch recognises the need for a proper management structure to enable the Department to implement the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme. Having regard to the responsibilities and the professional input required, the Civil Service Branch considers the ranking and grading of the post appropriate.
11. The Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service has advised that the grading proposed for the permanent post would be appropriate if the post were to be created.
Works Branch
March 1996
Enclosure 1 to EC(96-97)3
The High Priority Programme comprises the following -
I. Stage I of the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS) covering -
- deep tunnels connecting Tseung Kwan O and Chai Wan Sewage Screening Plants via Shau Kei Wan Sewage Screening Plant to Kwun Tong Sewage Screening Plant (Kwun Tong Screening Plant is connected to Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Plant via To Kwa Wan Sewage Screening Plant. Kwai Chung Screening Plant is connected to Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Plant via Tsing Yi Sewage Treatment Plant);
- three large sewage pumping stations - at Tseung Kwan O, Kwun Tong and Stonecutters Island;
- one very large main pumping station at Stonecutters Island delivering all the sewage to the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works for treatment;
- modification and upgrading of existing facilities at seven preliminary sewage treatment works along the Victoria Harbour;
- one large sewage treatment works at Stonecutters Island, i.e. Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Plant, to treat all the sewage conveyed/pumped to it using chemically-enhanced primary sedimentation process (The activities in the Plant include the handling of chemicals, grit and screenings, sludge treatment, dewatering, transportation and disposal); and
- a central control centre with a Computerised Distribution Control and Data Acquisition System connecting all the sewage treatment facilities forming part of SSDS Stage I.
II. Six Sewerage Master Plans
- Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing SMP
- North West Kowloon SMP
- North and South Kowloon SMP
- East Kowloon SMP
- Chai Wan and Shau Kei Wan SMP
- Tseung Kwan O SMP
Enclosure 3 to EC(96-97)3
Rank : Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (D1)
Main Duties and Responsibilities
As head of the Sewage Treatment Division 1, the Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer is responsible to the Assistant Director/Electrical and Mechanical for the overall management, administration, staff management, operation and maintenance activities of all government sewage pumping, preliminary and secondary treatment works (other than those facilities provided under the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme) and floodwater pumping stations. Duties include -
- developing and implementing an operation and maintenance policy for all sewage treatment plants and sewage pumping stations and floodwater pumping stations;
- developing and upkeeping a manning policy to cater for the continuous rapid expansion of sewage treatment facilities in Hong Kong;
- monitoring the operation of all treatment plants and pumping stations to ensure that they are operating with optimum economic efficiencies, particularly with respect to energy recovery systems;
- monitoring the operation of all treatment plants with the best environmental protection standards commensurate with the original plant design and within standards laid down in the Environmental Protection Ordinances;
- monitoring and controlling the Divisions expenditure of funds and bids for resources;
- monitoring the engineering and safety standard with regard to electrical and mechanical equipment and process control within the sewage treatment plants and pumping stations;
- keeping abreast of the latest technical developments and developing a training policy for all craft, technical and professional grades within the Division in order to meet the manpower needs and the continuously improving technical standards;
- serving on joint committees composed of representatives of other government departments charged with policy making in the fields of sewage treatment and sewage pumping; and
- liaising with private industry with respect to disposal of liquid trade waste and correct treatment of sewage effluent, and with contractors, consultants, other government departments, overseas visitors and the general public with respect to environmental protection matters.
Enclosure 4 to EC (96-97)3
Rank : Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (D1)
Main Duties and Responsibilities
As head of the Sewage Treatment Division 2, the Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer is responsible to the Assistant Director/Electrical and Mechanical for the overall management, administration, staff management and co-ordination of the operation and maintenance activities of all facilities provided under the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS). Duties include -
- developing and implementing an operation and maintenance policy for all sewage treatment plants and sewage pumping stations under the SSDS;
- developing and upkeeping a manning policy to cater for the continuous rapid expansion of sewage treatment facilities in Hong Kong;
- monitoring the operation of all treatment plants and pumping stations to ensure that they are operating with optimum economic efficiencies, particularly with respect to energy recovery systems;
- monitoring the operation of all treatment plants with the best environmental protection standards commensurate with the original plant design and within standards laid down in the Environmental Protection Ordinances;
- monitoring and controlling the Division's expenditure of funds and bids for resources;
- monitoring the engineering and safety standard with regard to electrical and mechanical equipment and supervisory control, and the effectiveness of the data acquisition system linked within all plants under the SSDS;
- keeping abreast of the latest technical developments and developing a training policy for all craft, technical and professional grades within the Division in order to meet the manpower needs and the continuously improving technical standards;
- serving on joint committees composed of representatives of other government departments charged with policy making in the fields of sewage treatment and sewage pumping; and
- liaising with contractors, consultants, other government departments, overseas visitors and the general public to promote the SSDS.
Last Updated on 3 December 1998
