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Water sampling tests for five public rental housing (PRH) developments have now been completed. All data met the World Health Organization (WHO)'s guideline value for lead in drinking water.
A spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) today (September 16) said, "As previously pointed out, 2005 was a watershed year in construction of public housing estates. In general, the water pipes in PRH estates completed before 2005 were connected mechanically and no soldering had been used. Therefore, HD and the Water Supplies Department (WSD) have all along been systematically taking water samples from PRH estates completed in or after 2005 for testing. Despite such a broad distinction, there are exceptions. Individual PRH developments completed after 2005 did not use soldering in general; while a small number of developments completed before 2005 used soldering in pipe connections. HD and WSD are now systematically conducting water sampling tests for the few remaining PRH developments completed in 2005, which include PRH estates that had used, and those that had not used, soldering in pipe connections."
The following are the results of water sampling tests in five PRH developments. All samples, which were taken from the fresh water supply systems installed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)'s main contractors, met the WHO's guideline value:
Developments completed in 2005, with soldering used in copper pipe connections:
* Yat Tung (II) Estate (Mei Yat House, Mun Yat House, Kui Yat House) : 108 samples.
Developments completed in 2005, with no soldering used in lined galvanized iron pipe connections:
* Lei Muk Shue Estate Phase 3 (Chui Shue House, Wing Shue House) and Lei Muk Shue Shopping Centre : 66 samples;
* Lei Muk Shue Estate Phase 4 (Hong Shue House, Lok Shue House, Kin Shue House) : 54 samples;
* Yau Lai Estate Phase 1 (Bik Lai House, Sau Lai House, Yi Lai House, Nga Lai House, Chi Lai House, Yat Lai House) : 78 samples; and
* Shek Pai Wan Estate Phase 1 (Pik Long House, Pik Yuet House, Pik Ngan House, Pik Fai House) : 89 samples.
Details are at Annex 1.
Similar to previous batches of PRH estates announced, the batch of estates announced today also include non-domestic facilities used for commercial, social service, educational purposes etc. They are located within the lower levels of the domestic blocks or in a standalone building. Some non-domestic facilities share the same fresh water supply system as the domestic portion, while others are fed by a separate system which is independent from that of the domestic portion. In any case, HA's main contractors are generally responsible for the installation of the fresh water supply systems in the common area only. In other words, most of the fresh water supply systems inside non-domestic units are installed by the tenants themselves.
As mentioned from time to time previously, if the fresh water supply system of the non-domestic portion is independent from that of the domestic portion, we will conduct separate water sampling tests for the two independent systems, and the test results for the two systems are also independent from each other. For the independent fresh water supply systems of the PRH developments announced today, we have taken samples from the systems installed by the HA's main contractors in the common area, and all samples met the WHO's guideline value. However, as mentioned above, most of the fresh water supply systems inside non-domestic units are installed by the tenants themselves. Therefore, the water test results announced today reflect the lead content in drinking water of the water supply systems in the common area, but not that inside the non-domestic units," the spokesman said.
As for the measures to assist affected tenants, the latest progress is at Annex 2. As regards the progress of installation of water filters, in some estates filters have already been installed in almost all or more than half of the units. In light of the progress, HD will consider how to gradually reduce the distribution of bottled water, having regard to the actual environment and circumstances including the filter installation progress in individual estates.
"HD and WSD are now systematically conducting water sampling tests for the few remaining PRH developments completed in 2005. Thereafter, as mentioned on September 10, we will collate the water test results of all the estates that had not used soldering, and at the same time, keep in view the findings of the WSD's 'Task Force on Excessive Lead Content in Drinking Water' on the cause of excessive lead content in water, which are expected to be available shortly, in order to come up with an objective method to conduct a representative sampling survey on the lead content in drinking water in PRH estates completed before 2005 (i.e. where no soldering had been used in general). Based on the results, we would then consider whether it is necessary to ascertain and follow-up on the water quality of these PRH estates that had not used soldering," the spokesman said.
Ends/Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:43
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