************************************************************
The Housing Department (HD) and the Water Supplies Department are systematically taking water samples in batches from public rental housing estates completed in 2011 and 2012 to test for lead content.
A spokesman for the HD said today (July 31) that water sampling for three additional estates completed in 2011 and 2012 has now been completed. The results are as follows:
* Un Chau Estate Phase 5 (Un Mun House, Un Wai House and Un Yat House): 55 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the World Health Organization (WHO);
* Choi Fook Estate (Choi Foon House): 27 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO; and
* Choi Tak Estate (Choi Yan House, Choi Yee House): 40 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO.
In addition, although Domain (a shopping centre and Yau Tong Community Hall), completed in 2012, was not originally on the list of public housing estates completed in 2011 and 2012 as announced by the HD earlier, water samples were also taken there for testing as it was also completed in the same period. A total of eight samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO.
"Our next step is to continue to take water samples from the remaining public rental housing estates completed in 2011 and 2012 for testing. The sampling work for Shek Kip Mei Estate (Phase 2), Tung Wui Estate and Hung Hom Estate (Phase 2) has begun. We will announce the final testing results once available. Sampling work for the remaining estates will also start soon," the spokesman said.
The HD already announced on July 29 that the lead content of six out of the 130 water samples from Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate Phase 1 exceeded the WHO standard, while all samples from the five blocks of Shek Kip Mei Estate Phase 5 and Mei Yan House of Mei Tung Estate met the standard of the WHO.
Ends/Friday, July 31, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:26
NNNN
