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Updates on DEVB and WSD's follow up work in response to recommendations by Commission of Inquiry into Excess Lead Found in Drinking Water
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     A spokesman for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said today (October 11) that the DEVB and the Water Supplies Department (WSD) have been following up the recommendations by the Commission of Inquiry into Excess Lead Found in Drinking Water (the Commission) on Hong Kong's drinking water safety made in end May this year in full swing.
 
     The International Expert Panel (the Panel) set up on June 1 by the DEVB has convened three meetings so far for in-depth discussions on various issues related to drinking water safety, including the feasible options of improving the drinking water safety regime in Hong Kong.
 
     As for the establishment of suitable drinking water standards and water sampling protocols for Hong Kong recommended by the Commission, the WSD has engaged an expert consultant, the Water Research Centre, from the United Kingdom (UK) to review the drinking water standards and water sampling protocols of the World Health Organization, the European Union, Australia, Singapore, the UK, Canada, the United States and other developed countries. The expert consultant will also advise on the subject based on the situation in Hong Kong. The DEVB, the WSD, the Panel and the UK expert consultant are now deliberating on the relevant issues, including the considerations taken by various countries in establishing a guideline value of lead content in drinking water, the purposes and limitations of their sampling protocols, and their applicability in Hong Kong's situation. Whether these protocols can be applied in the investigation of lead contamination in inside service of public rental housing estates will also be covered.
 
     As for the Water Safety Plan (the Plan), the WSD has engaged an expert consultant, Water Futures Pty Ltd, from Australia to provide advice on the Plan. The WSD will study the recommendations made by the consultant to enhance the Plan.
 
     The WSD aims to complete the studies on the establishment of drinking water standards, the sampling protocol and the Water Safety Plan and put forward a proposal by the end of March 2017.
 
     The WSD has also commenced a review of a legislative amendment to the Waterworks Ordinance (the Ordinance). The first stage of the amendment will involve delineating qualified persons such as those who take part in the construction and installation of inside services, and updating the pipe and fitting standards and the technical requirements.  The WSD is now conducting a public consultation exercise on the proposed amendment and has commenced the related law drafting work with a view to submitting the amendment to the Legislative Council for deliberation in this legislative session. It has also commenced a review of the remaining legislative amendment to the Ordinance and will take administrative measures to enhance the current system in the meantime.
 
Ends/Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 21:39
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