*******************************************************
Considering that some water samples collected from the Housing Authority's (HA) Kai Ching Estate and Kwai Luen Estate Phase 2, which were completed since 2013, were found to contain lead beyond the World Health Organization (WHO) limit, the Secretary for Transport and Housing and the HA Chairman, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, last week announced that drinking water samples from nine public rental housing (PRH) estates completed since 2013 and Kwai Luen Estate Phase 1 would be tested for lead content. The Housing Department (HD) and the Water Supplies Department (WSD) took 370 drinking water samples from July 17 to 19 for lead testing from six of these PRH estates and Kwai Luen Estate Phase 1.
An HD spokesman stressed that these sample tests were conducted simply to ease residents' concerns, but not because evidence had been found pointing to unacceptable lead levels in the drinking water in these PRH estates.
The spokesman today (July 20) announced the details of the tests results as follows:
* Kwai Luen Estate Phase 1: 41 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO,
* Mei Chuen House of Mei Tin Estate: 33 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO,
* Shek Foon House of Shek Lei (II) Estate: 26 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO,
* Fung Wo Estate: 50 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO,
*Mei Tak House of Mei Tung Estate: 24 samples were taken and all data met standard of the WHO and
*Hung Fuk Estate Phase 1,2 and 3: 150 samples were taken and all data met the standard of the WHO.
For Wing Cheong Estate, 46 samples were taken. One of the samples taken from the estate management office on the ground floor of Wing Chun House was found with a lead level of 14 micrograms per litre, above the acceptable level set out in the WHO guidelines. Preliminary finding by a X-ray fluorescence detector also showed the existence of lead at the soldering material of a pipe joint.
As the lead level in a water sample exceeded the WHO standard and as lead was detected in the soldering material of a pipe joint in Wing Cheong Estate, the authority will initiate a series of actions which include the provision of bottled water to the tenants there starting this evening. The WSD will set up water tanks and lay temporary water pipes to the ground floor of each block at Wing Cheong Estate to facilitate the tenants to take water. Representatives from various departments would also attend a forum tonight to brief the tenants on the latest situation. Leaflets with health-related information will also be distributed to the tenants. The HD will contact the three colleagues working in the estate management office to see if they need health-related information and follow-up services. Tenants of the estate in need of more health-related information can call the Department of Health hotline: 2125 1122.
The main contractor of Wing Cheong Estate is Paul Y. General Contractors Limited. The main contractor has agreed to provide the information that the waterworks sub-contractor for Wing Cheong Estate is Golden Day Engineering Company Limited.
"We are collecting drinking water samples from the other three PRH estates completed since 2013 and will announce the test results once the tests are completed," the spokesman said.
Furthermore, to ease concern of the tenants, Professor Cheung has also asked the HD to extend the water sampling tests to PRH estates completed in 2011 and 2012.
The list of the PRH estates completed in 2011 and 2012 is attached.
Ends/Monday, July 20, 2015
Issued at HKT 23:00
NNNN