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Drainage Services Department

The latest news and top stories on the Drainage Services Department. A prominent Hong Kong-based governmental body, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) is dedicated to providing world-class wastewater and stormwater drainage services, preventing flooding and ensuring public safety. Its main areas of focus include sewage collection, treatment and flood prevention through major infrastructure projects like drainage tunnels and smart drainage systems. Established in 1989, DSD is recognised for its commitment to sustainable development, environmental management and significant contributions to Hong Kong’s urban resilience.

A burst pipe on San Wan Road in Sheung Shui, has left thousands of households without water. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong water pipe leak leaves thousands of homes dry during winter solstice

Repairs continue after a burst pipe on San Wan Road in Sheung Shui leaves thousands without water and gatherings disrupted.

21 Dec 2025 - 11:43PM

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong shuts Tsing Yi hiking trails amid links to 5 local chikungunya cases

9 Dec 2025 - 7:56PM

Hong Kong society

Village in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung struggles without water for more than 10 days

27 Nov 2025 - 8:39AM

Accidents and personal safety

Hong Kong authorities launch probe into fatal industrial accident at sewage plant

Worker was operating concrete core drilling machine when his clothing became caught and strangled him.

23 Nov 2025 - 5:35PM

The worker died at Tseung Kwan O Hospital, 10 hours after he collapsed in the basement of a sewage treatment plant in Wo Mei, Sai Kung. Photo: Winson Wong

Accidents and personal safety

Worker, 49, dies hours after collapsing at Hong Kong sewage treatment plant

Man was installing electric equipment in basement when colleagues found that he had collapsed.

23 Nov 2025 - 12:41AM

Hong Kong society

Hot water runs out at Hong Kong estate amid bitumen clean-up, safety fears grow

Worried Taikoo Shing residents seek to clean meters after bitumen found in drinking water, turn to bottled options.

17 Nov 2025 - 11:45PM

Accidents and personal safety

Man collapses and dies while clearing drainage channel in Hong Kong

Man was found by his sister beside one-metre-deep drain in Mong Kok alley.

5 Nov 2025 - 12:17AM

A man has been found dead next to a drainage channel in Mong Kok. Photo: Cable TV news

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police to expand CCTV coverage and link up with more departments

Force says coverage will be expanded to public housing estates, cross-harbour tunnels and venues hosting National Games by end of year.

19 Oct 2025 - 8:54PM

Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Yuan boost eyed as Hong Kong’s mainland China spending hits HK$5 billion

Authorities are now exploring ways to increase mainland China payments in renminbi and expand its use.

14 Oct 2025 - 9:09AM

Super Typhoon Ragasa

Hongkongers urged to avoid Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay beaches after pipe splits

Sewage pipe broke into two parts during Super Typhoon Ragasa, with authorities conducting repairs and set to test seawater samples.

26 Sep 2025 - 11:06PM

Super Typhoon Ragasa

Lessons from Ragasa lashing Hong Kong’s coastal areas must be learned: experts

City does not have special building regulations to guard against waves and floods, but planners have many ways to improve protection, they say.

25 Sep 2025 - 8:08PMvideocam

Workers mop up at the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel. Photo: Jelly Tse

Super Typhoon Ragasa

Super Typhoon Ragasa: Hong Kong’s coastal low-lying areas hit by floodwaters

Authorities say they received 22 reports of flooding as of late afternoon.

27 Sep 2025 - 8:17AMvideocam

Super Typhoon Ragasa

Hong Kong car owners race to higher ground to escape Ragasa’s feared storm surge

Hongkongers scramble to move cars out of flood-prone areas, with coastal water levels expected to rise as high as five metres in Tolo Harbour.

23 Sep 2025 - 4:36PM

Hong Kong society

Bitumen found in water supply of subsidised estate in Hong Kong’s Ma On Shan

Water Supplies Department says it has rolled out cleaning, filtration after contamination found in supply of three blocks in Kam Chun Court.

19 Sep 2025 - 7:18AM

Kam Chun Court in Ma On Shan. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong invests HK$30 million in water pipe robots to detect leaks

Robots will pave the way to goal of cutting water leakage rate to below 10 per cent by 2030, department chief says.

1 Sep 2025 - 8:36PM

Shenzhen Bwell Technology president Dai Yi demonstrates the capabilities of some equipment. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong water procurement scandal

Opinion | Water scandal another blow to public trust in Hong Kong government

While it is easy to blame systemic failures, these systems were created by people who must be held accountable.

25 Aug 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong police

Hong Kong orders probe into procurement processes amid bottled water scandal

Lawmaker says authorities ‘flustered and panicking’ amid accusations supplier of bottled water to government offices used brand without permission.

17 Aug 2025 - 11:36PM

Hong Kong environmental issues

Hong Kong buys 3 more HK$1 million ‘water-pumping dragon’ machines

Devices to be ready for use later this week to help emergency services battle potential flooding.

12 Aug 2025 - 8:02PM

The Drainage Services Department has a team of about 30 trained technicians to operate the machines and says it will train more personnel if more devices are bought. Photo: Elson Li

Climate change

Opinion | Dry June, wet July: climate whiplash is on Hong Kong’s doorstep

Climate change fuelling extreme weather is no longer a future we must prepare for. It’s happening now and Hong Kong must pull out all the stops.

10 Aug 2025 - 6:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong Observatory to enhance AI models after record-breaking downpours

Forecaster pledges to invest in improving artificial intelligence models that predicted development of torrential rainband a week in advance.

8 Aug 2025 - 7:53PM

Hong Kong weather

Opinion | Why black rain days herald more than stormy weather for Hong Kong

Recent days of heavy rainfall show the kind of weather Hong Kong must prepare for in an era of accelerating climate change.

7 Aug 2025 - 8:44AMvideocam

Hong Kong weather

Record-breaking rainstorm in Hong Kong wreaks havoc with 11-hour black signal

Highest daily rainfall in August on record causes flooding, landslides and disruption to public services.

6 Aug 2025 - 2:43PMvideocam

The Observatory has said the heavy rain was caused by a trough of low pressure linked to the remnants of tropical cyclone Haikui. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong weather

Explainer | Hong Kong bombarded with scores of rainstorm warnings over past few days. Why?

The Observatory issued its second-longest black signal on Tuesday, after warnings sent out at all hours in recent days.

6 Aug 2025 - 2:21PM

Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong deploys 3 robotic ‘water-pumping dragons’ to drain 24 floods

Multiple robots deployed across the city to drain flooded locations on day when Observatory records heaviest daily rainfall for August since 1884.

5 Aug 2025 - 8:49PM

Hong Kong weather

Heavy rain puts damper on Hong Kong school graduations as classes suspended

Observatory cancels all rainstorm warnings at 8pm but says weather will remain unstable.

11 Jul 2025 - 12:03AM

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has issued a red rainstorm warning. Photo: Elson Li

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Drainage Services Department

Hong Kong water pipe leak leaves thousands of homes dry during winter solstice

Repairs continue after a burst pipe on San Wan Road in Sheung Shui leaves thousands without water and gatherings disrupted.

Hong Kong shuts Tsing Yi hiking trails amid links to 5 local chikungunya cases

Village in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung struggles without water for more than 10 days

Hong Kong authorities launch probe into fatal industrial accident at sewage plant

Worker was operating concrete core drilling machine when his clothing became caught and strangled him.

Worker, 49, dies hours after collapsing at Hong Kong sewage treatment plant

Man was installing electric equipment in basement when colleagues found that he had collapsed.

Hot water runs out at Hong Kong estate amid bitumen clean-up, safety fears grow

Worried Taikoo Shing residents seek to clean meters after bitumen found in drinking water, turn to bottled options.

Man collapses and dies while clearing drainage channel in Hong Kong

Man was found by his sister beside one-metre-deep drain in Mong Kok alley.

Hong Kong police to expand CCTV coverage and link up with more departments

Force says coverage will be expanded to public housing estates, cross-harbour tunnels and venues hosting National Games by end of year.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | Yuan boost eyed as Hong Kong’s mainland China spending hits HK$5 billion

Authorities are now exploring ways to increase mainland China payments in renminbi and expand its use.

Hongkongers urged to avoid Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay beaches after pipe splits

Sewage pipe broke into two parts during Super Typhoon Ragasa, with authorities conducting repairs and set to test seawater samples.

Lessons from Ragasa lashing Hong Kong’s coastal areas must be learned: experts

City does not have special building regulations to guard against waves and floods, but planners have many ways to improve protection, they say.

Super Typhoon Ragasa: Hong Kong’s coastal low-lying areas hit by floodwaters

Authorities say they received 22 reports of flooding as of late afternoon.

Hong Kong car owners race to higher ground to escape Ragasa’s feared storm surge

Hongkongers scramble to move cars out of flood-prone areas, with coastal water levels expected to rise as high as five metres in Tolo Harbour.

Bitumen found in water supply of subsidised estate in Hong Kong’s Ma On Shan

Water Supplies Department says it has rolled out cleaning, filtration after contamination found in supply of three blocks in Kam Chun Court.

Hong Kong invests HK$30 million in water pipe robots to detect leaks

Robots will pave the way to goal of cutting water leakage rate to below 10 per cent by 2030, department chief says.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Water scandal another blow to public trust in Hong Kong government

While it is easy to blame systemic failures, these systems were created by people who must be held accountable.

Hong Kong orders probe into procurement processes amid bottled water scandal

Lawmaker says authorities ‘flustered and panicking’ amid accusations supplier of bottled water to government offices used brand without permission.

Hong Kong buys 3 more HK$1 million ‘water-pumping dragon’ machines

Devices to be ready for use later this week to help emergency services battle potential flooding.

Opinion | Dry June, wet July: climate whiplash is on Hong Kong’s doorstep

Climate change fuelling extreme weather is no longer a future we must prepare for. It’s happening now and Hong Kong must pull out all the stops.

Hong Kong Observatory to enhance AI models after record-breaking downpours

Forecaster pledges to invest in improving artificial intelligence models that predicted development of torrential rainband a week in advance.

Opinion | Why black rain days herald more than stormy weather for Hong Kong

Recent days of heavy rainfall show the kind of weather Hong Kong must prepare for in an era of accelerating climate change.

Record-breaking rainstorm in Hong Kong wreaks havoc with 11-hour black signal

Highest daily rainfall in August on record causes flooding, landslides and disruption to public services.

Explainer | Hong Kong bombarded with scores of rainstorm warnings over past few days. Why?

The Observatory issued its second-longest black signal on Tuesday, after warnings sent out at all hours in recent days.

Hong Kong deploys 3 robotic ‘water-pumping dragons’ to drain 24 floods

Multiple robots deployed across the city to drain flooded locations on day when Observatory records heaviest daily rainfall for August since 1884.

Heavy rain puts damper on Hong Kong school graduations as classes suspended

Observatory cancels all rainstorm warnings at 8pm but says weather will remain unstable.

Exclusive | Yuan boost eyed as Hong Kong’s mainland China spending hits HK$5 billion

Opinion | Water scandal another blow to public trust in Hong Kong government