Severe tunnelling delays on the first phase of Hong Kong’s Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS) has led the government to carry out a full risk analysis of the remaining three stages.
Several consultancy firms are already lining up to carry out the assignment which was announced by Hong Kong government chief executive Tung Chee-hwa. He said: "The independent expert group will be set up within the next few months to examine whether these projects can really provide the most cost effective and environmentally friendly means of handling sewage from Hong Kong Island. This will help avoid further changes and consequent delays".
The further stages, including two massive sewage collection networks and a long sea outfall, will cost US$3bn, with completion by 2008. But Tung said: "experience with stage one suggests that we need to reschedule the completion dates and reassess the costs of the later stages."
Work on Stage 1 was due to be completed in May 1997, but just over half of the 23km tunnel network has been completed, he said. Engineers now estimate that the projects may not be finished until well into 2001.
The government is already locked in arbitration with the dismissed original contractor, Campenon Bernard/Maeda JV. The Drainage Services Department.subsequently awarded completion contracts to Skanska; Gammon/Kvaerner; and Paul Y/Seli, which continue to suffer problems.
