Binnies collaborating on Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works expansion

Project summary

In Hong Kong, RSK company Binnies undertook the investigation and the design and construction supervision for the Sha Tau Kok Sewage Treatment Works (STKSTW) expansion project.

The background

In the rural district of Sha Tau Kok in Hong Kong, STKSTW provides secondary-level treatment of sewage collected from the nearby township. The facility was commissioned in 1989. Recently, the Hong Kong government’s Drainage Services Department (DSD) began a project to expand the facility’s capacity. The plan was to increase the current capacity of 1660 m³/day to 5000 m³/day and to facilitate a possible further increase to 10,000 m³/day. This expansion would enable the plant to service the region’s continual development.

RSK company Binnies was appointed to undertake the investigation and the design and construction supervision for the expansion work. The contract provisions included the need for a temporary sewage treatment facility to maintain services during the reconstruction of STKSTW, a longer and larger submarine outfall to provide sufficient capacity for discharging the increased treated effluent, alteration to the trunk sewer system in the Sha Tau Kok town and public sewerage in Tong To.

The challenges

Such a complicated and dispersed project comes with inherent challenges, including logistics and a need to maintain schedules and adhere to budgets. Without a functional temporary sewage treatment plant, the later stages of construction would have been impossible.

The solutions

Effective communication and proficient project management negated potential conflicts and issues concerning the various interconnected contract provisions. Binnies surpassed the primary goal of commissioning a temporary treatment plant in less than 18 months and ensured that the plant operated continuously. No service interruptions were recorded, which was a remarkable achievement.

Off-site, the Binnies team adopted a variety of innovative technologies, including a design for manufacture and assembly approach for fabricating and installing the civil structures and electrical and mechanical equipment, as well as digitalising the site’s management and building information modelling to enhance the project’s efficiency, safety and quality.

Additionally, Binnies implemented the first full-scale application of the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process in any government sewage treatment plant in Hong Kong.

The impacts

The team surpassed all its initial goals. The successful commissioning of the temporary plant in less than 18 months and ensuring that the plant operated continuously allowed the rest of the development to move forward.

In 2021, Binnies, together with DSD and contractor Build King–Kum Shing Joint Venture, won the NEC Contract Innovation of the Year Award for the ongoing STKSTW expansion. In addition, the project was first runner-up for the NEC Sustainability Award of the Year.