‘Unusual increase of faeces’ in Hong Kong’s Shing Mun river: E coli, other pollutants off charts, causing dragon boaters itchy skin
Test conducted after residents complained about the smell and extraordinary amount of dead fish floating on the surface
People who row dragon boats along the Shing Mun River are in danger after a water test found that the level E coli was 1,300 times higher than the acceptable amounts set by the environmental protection department.
The test was conducted by a private research company hired by Sha Tin district council after athletes said they had reactions on their skin following training and residents complained the water was smelly and contained a large number of dead fish floating on the surface.
The water, near to Fo Tan, is not far away from a training centre for dragon boat racing – a popular Chinese water sport – and the area is also surrounded by high-rise residential and commercial buildings, schools and playgrounds.
“We couldn’t believe the striking level of E coli after we got the results” said Scarlett Pong Oi-Lan, a district councillor in Sha Tin.
After the results were double checked, Pong was convinced the river’s level of E coli was at its highest point since 1995.
“We are pretty sure it was caused by an unusual increase of faeces in the water,” said Pong, adding that she believed it was “either a leak of a dung channel or an illegal dump”.