To alleviate the flooding caused by heavy rain in the districts of Fai Chi Kei, Lam Mau and Horta e Costa, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) plans to build a pumping station and box culvert drains in Bacia Norte do Patane in phases to increase the overall drainage capacity in the districts starting from the second quarter of 2023. The pumping station will also have a contaminant intercepting function to reduce the water pollution problem along the coast of Bacia Norte do Patane. The waterfront area in Rua do Comandante João Belo will also be expanded through the construction works. A waterfront leisure area with a total area of over 2,000 square metres will be established to provide a more diversified leisure space for the public.

To reduce the impact on the residents and businesses in the districts, the construction works of pumping station and box culvert drains in Bacia Norte do Patane will be carried out in three phases. The invitation of tenders for the construction works will be carried out within this year, and the first phase of construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2023. It is aimed that the construction works of the box culvert drains will be completed in the latter half of 2024 and the earthworks of the pumping station will be completed in 2025. Trial operation of the pumping station will be launched afterwards to achieve the best operation result. As the construction location is situated in a densely populated area near the embankment which is heavily impacted by tidal changes, a certain level of difficulty will arise in the construction period. IAM will control the work progress and minimise the impact on traffic through formulation of plans, implementation of various measures and in particular working in coordination with the traffic authorities. In response to the complicated underground pipe and cable facilities in the districts, IAM will coordinate the construction works of the different franchised companies to avoid repeated excavation.

The first phase of the construction works involves the construction of a section of box culvert drain along the coast of Rua do Comandante João Belo of 170 metres for the optimisation of the whole drainage network. Meanwhile, the existing walking space will be widened and a waterfront leisure area with a total area of about 2,166 square metres will be built. A fitness enhancement area, children’s interactive area, viewing platform and other facilities will be incorporated in the construction of the multipurpose leisure area, which will be connected to the existing Leisure Area in Baía Norte do Fai Chi Kei to provide a high-quality outdoor activity area for the residents in the district. A green barrier separating the leisure area and vehicular passages will be constructed using flowerbeds and trees.

The second phase of construction works involves the construction of a box culvert drain with a total length of 268 metres in a section of Rua da Doca Seca, which connects the box culvert storm water drain in Avenida Marginal do Lam Mau with the new box culvert drain in Rua do Comandante João Belo constructed in the first phase. This is to divert the flow of the storm water in Avenida Marginal do Lam Mau to the box culvert drain and intercept the flow of the storm water in the surrounding areas of Fai Chi Kei to divert it to the storm water pumping station to be built in the third phase.

The third phase of construction works involve the construction of the pumping station in Bacia Norte do Patane spanning about 920 square metres. The pumping station will have a contaminant intercepting function in addition to storm water drainage. The pumping station will also be equipped with an odour removal system and covered with a green barrier to beautify its appearance.