EJ InsightToday, 13:10
White effluents seen floating on the surface of Tuen Mun River on Tuesday have raised fears of chemical pollution among residents.
The Environmental Protection Department sent personnel to take water samples from the river to determine the chemical composition of the strange fluid that residents saw draining out of an outfall and floating in the middle section of the river around 9 a.m., Apple Daily reported.
A resident of nearby Yau Oi Estate said they feared the fluid was some kind of chemical coming from an industrial zone in the neighborhood and could jeopardize the ecology of the river.
The fluid dissipated after two to three hours.
District Councilor Tam Chun-yin said he went to the site for inspection after receiving complaints from residents.
He then contacted the Drainage Services Department, which said it had nothing to do with the effluents and suggested that he forward his complaint to the EPD.
An EPD spokesman said the department would take prompt action should an illegal drainage be found, adding that it collected samples from the river after receiving two complaints from residents.
In July 2013, part of the river suddenly turned green, raising fears of chemical pollution among residents.
It was later learned that the change in color resulted from the EPD’s use of fluorescent powder to test water pipelines of residential, commercial and industrial buildings in the area.
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