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Four public rental housing estates with excess lead in drinking water to begin trials for rectification works
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     Four contractors will soon begin trials for rectification works in four public rental housing (PRH) estates with excess lead in drinking water, by replacing the water pipes in some common areas, to prepare for the replacement of pipes in all affected estates.

     After the discovery of excess lead in drinking water in some PRH estates in early July, the Government and the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) immediately took a series of measures to minimise the inconvenience in gaining access to safe drinking water for the tenants of the 11 affected PRH estates, including the supply of bottled water, provision of standpipes, and requesting the contractors concerned to install temporary water points, as well as to install filters and replace filter cores in two years for affected domestic households free of charge.

     Filter installation for the estates concerned was completed in October, and the temporary water points in all 11 affected estates have also been put into operation. As tenants in the various estates are now able to gain access to safe drinking water through water filters and the temporary water points, the Housing Department (HD) ceased the distribution of bottled water in the 11 affected estates altogether on December 28.

     An HD spokesman said today (December 30) that, as mentioned from time to time, the HA has requested the contractors concerned to replace the non-compliant water pipes in order to rectify the problem of excess lead in drinking water. Before the rollout of rectification works in all of the affected estates, the four contractors plan to first conduct trial works in four of the affected estates, namely Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate Phase 1, Kai Ching Estate, Wing Cheong Estate and Kwai Luen Estate Phase 2, by replacing the water pipes in some common areas. The contractors will select a block in each of the four estates and carry out trial works in some of the common areas in that block. The trial works in these four estates are expected to commence in the next few days, and will last for approximately four to six weeks.

     "The trial works will inevitably bring about some inconvenience for tenants. For example, water supply will be temporarily suspended, gondolas may be used for works on external walls, workers may use passenger lifts during non-peak hours, and some public space in the estates may be used for workspace. We hope to have tenants' understanding. The HA will ask the contractors to minimise the nuisance caused to tenants during the trial works, including noise and air pollution."

     The HD will inform the relevant Estate Management Advisory Committees and Mutual Aid Committees of the detailed arrangements regarding the scope, dates, sequence and more of the trial works in the four estates. The contractors will each set up an enquiry line for tenants who wish to know more about the details of the trial works.

     The contractors and the HA will identify the parts of water pipes which need to be replaced by using devices to check for the presence of lead in soldering joints. Once the trial works have been completed, the contractors will work out a more detailed work plan and timetable for the rectification works in all of the affected estates based on data and practical experience. The current plan is to replace the water pipes in the common areas first, while the water pipes inside individual units will only be replaced in the next stage. The HA will announce the arrangements for the rectification works in all affected estates as soon as possible after such details have been confirmed.

Ends/Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:23

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