Rectification works inside flats to start at 11 public rental housing estates with excess lead in water
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The rectification works inside domestic flats of the 11 public rental housing (PRH) estates with excess lead in water will start soon.
A Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) spokesman said today (March 9) that 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 affected PRH developments. The contractors have been replacing the non-compliant water pipes in the common areas of the 11 PRH developments since March 2016. To date, pipe replacement works in the common areas of six of the affected PRH developments have been substantially completed. It is estimated that the works in the common areas of the remaining affected PRH developments will be completed by the second quarter of 2017.
Regarding the works inside domestic flats, as announced previously, given that the furnishings and pipe routings inside individual flats vary from one to another, in order to test the contractors' method and the arrangements on a small scale first, a trial for works inside flats has taken place at Kwai Yuet House of Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate Phase 1 since October 17, 2016. In light of 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.
Since the commencement of the trial, works for about half of the flats have been completed. Considering that the works in the common areas of the 11 PRH developments will be completed soon, and having consolidated experiences from the trial works at Kwai Yuet House of Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate Phase 1, the works inside individual flats for the remaining affected PRH developments will be rolled out in the second quarter of 2017. Similar to the arrangements adopted during the trial, the contractors will conduct household visits to discuss and confirm the detailed arrangements with the tenants before commencing works inside flats. The actual time required for the works in each flat will vary, depending on factors such as the furnishings, pipe routings, the weather conditions on the day of works and so on.
The spokesman said, "For tenants who express unwillingness in carrying out the works, we will continue to persuade them to allow the contractors to carry out the works at their convenience. This process will take time and we will monitor the progress. The Water Authority would then follow up with these tenants at an appropriate juncture and consider whether, and if so, what actions in accordance with the Waterworks Ordinance to be taken on a case-by-case basis.
"The rectification works inside flats will inevitably cause inconvenience to tenants. For example, tenants will need to make arrangements to enable the contractors to carry out works inside their flats, the furnishings and decoration inside flats will need to be temporarily adjusted, water supply will be temporarily suspended, gondolas for works will need to be mounted on external walls, the contractor's workers will need to use passenger lifts to convey materials during non-peak hours, some public space in the estate will need to be used for workshops and so on. We would be grateful for tenants' tolerance and understanding. The HA will ask the contractors to minimise the nuisance caused to tenants during the works as far as practicable."
As regards the detailed arrangements for rectification works inside flats, including the dates, scope, water suspension time and so on, the HA will put up notices in the estates and distribute newsletters to tenants before the works start. The relevant Estate Management Advisory Committees will also be briefed on the detailed works arrangements. During the works, the contractors' workers will wear uniforms and identification badges. The contractors will also set up a hotline and deploy ambassadors to answer tenants' enquiries.
Ends/Thursday, March 9, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:00
Issued at HKT 17:00
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