Macao’s defective drainage system is due to get a much-needed boost with the construction of two rainwater pumping stations.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheng Weng Chon has admitted that the city’s rainwater drainage network is “very old”, rendering it incapable of tackling a long period of torrential rain. He added that this was the reason the city’s low-lying areas have been hit by flooding in recent years whenever there is a downpour.
Cheong said that the government is planning to build a rainwater pumping station in the southern area of the Inner Harbour, and another in Lam Mau Tong district, and will invite bids next year.
There are currently two rainwater pumping stations in Lam Mau Tong, the area south-west of Fai Chi Kei.
Cheong said that although the government has carried out projects to expand the capacity of rainwater drains in the city, Macao’s rainwater drainage network as a whole is “very old” so that it is unable to tackle torrential rain.
Cheong also insisted that the newly completed rainwater pumping station in the northern area of the Inner Harbour had been effective in keeping flooding in check when the city was hard hit by a cloudburst in the early hours of 1 June.
On 1 June, Macao suffered its most rainy day since 1952 when records were officially launched by the the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau), causing the weather station to hoist the black rainstorm warning for the first time since the implementation of its system in September last year.
Cheong noted that when a rainstorm hits the city, the Inner Harbour North rainwater pumping station is able to reduce the level of water in low-lying areas, thereby reducing the length of time of the flooding.
Cheong also said that in addition to the “very old” state of the city’s rainwater drainage network, illegal discharge of sewage, and soil and gravel by construction workers had reduced the ability of the city’s drainage network to discharge rainwater. Cheong said that the government would draft a specific by-law which could punish those who illegally discharge sewage into rainwater drains.
The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted the Red Rainstorm Warning Signal at 7.50 am yesterday, and schools were suspended.
