Public rental housing estates with excess lead in drinking water to start trial for rectification works inside flats
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A trial for rectification works inside flats for public rental housing (PRH) estates with excess lead in water will start soon.
A Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) spokesman said today (October 11) that a trial for rectification works inside some domestic flats at Kwai Yuet House in Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate Phase 1 will start on October 17.
In order to rectify the problem of excess lead in water, the HA has requested the contractors concerned to replace the non-compliant water pipes in the 11 PRH developments with excess lead in water. The contractors started replacing the water pipes in the common areas in mid-March 2016, and progress so far is generally satisfactory. On the whole, the contractors have completed about half of the works in the common areas. The works in individual blocks have been substantially completed and contractors may now start rectification works inside flats.
As the furnishings and pipe routings inside domestic flats vary, works inside flats involve various complex technical issues. Therefore, it is necessary for contractors to assess the works by conducting trial works on a small scale at first. In light of their experience from the trial, the contractors will work out a more detailed work plan and timetable for works inside flats for the remaining affected PRH developments. As works in the common areas of Kwai Yuet House have been substantially completed, the trial for works inside flats will be conducted inside some domestic flats at Kwai Yuet House.
During the works trial inside the flats, the contractor will use the piping’s existing routing and aim to complete works for each flat within one day as far as practicable in order to avoid or minimise damage to tenants’ furnishings. The contractor will start contacting tenants on October 17 for household visits to discuss and confirm the detailed arrangements with tenants before commencing actual works inside flats. The contractor will schedule a time which is convenient to the tenants as far as practicable to minimise the inconvenience caused to them. For individual tenants who are not able to make arrangements to tie in with the works programme for special reasons, the contractor will arrange another time suitable to carry out the works.
The spokesman said, “The trial for rectification works inside flats will inevitably cause inconvenience to tenants. For example, tenants will need to make arrangements to allow the contractor to carry out works inside flats, the furnishings and decoration inside flats may need to be temporarily adjusted, temporary suspension of water supply, mounting of gondolas for works on external walls, use of passenger lifts by the contractor’s workers to convey materials during non-peak hours, use of some public space in the estate for workshops, etc. We would be grateful for tenants’ tolerance and understanding. The HA will ask the contractor to minimise the nuisance caused to tenants during the works as far as practicable.”
As regards the detailed arrangements of the trial for rectification works inside flats at Kwai Yuet House, including the dates, scope, water suspension time, etc, the HA will put up notices in the estate and distribute newsletters to affected tenants before the works start. The relevant Estate Management Advisory Committee will also be briefed on the detailed works arrangement. During the works, the contractor's workers will wear uniforms and identification badges. The contractor will also set up a hotline and deploy ambassadors to answer tenants’ enquiries.
Since the "excess-lead-in-water" incident, the HA has implemented a series of enhancement measures to strengthen its quality assurance system. Details of the HA’s follow-up actions in response to the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Excess Lead Found in Drinking Water can be found in Paper No. HA 24/2016 issued today (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/about-us/housing-authority/ha-paper-library/index.html).
Ends/Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:48
Issued at HKT 18:48
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