The Government today (June 15) announced that the Water Safety Plan Subsidy Scheme (WSPSS) will be open for application from July 13.

     The Chief Executive announced in the 2019 Policy Address the Government's plan to launch the WSPSS to encourage property owners and management agents to implement the Water Safety Plan for Buildings (WSPB) at their premises in order to further safeguard drinking water safety. Private residential or composite (commercial and residential) buildings (including buildings held by Civil Servants' Co-operative Building Societies) with the average annual rateable value not exceeding the specified ceiling are eligible for the WSPSS. A total of $440 million was allocated to the WSPSS for five years. It is envisaged to benefit about 5 000 eligible buildings.  

     The scope covered by the WSPSS includes water safety risk assessment on the internal plumbing system of the building and formulation of the WSPB, as well as the necessary maintenance works and measures for controlling the risks as identified by the water safety risk assessment. Furthermore, a subsidy will be provided for the expenses incurred in the first two cycles (2-year period for each cycle) of the implementation of WSPB.

     For details of the WSPSS, the public may visit the dedicated webpage of the Water Supplies Department (WSD), or call the WSD (2824 5000, press 05 after language selection) for enquiries. The application form and application notes can be downloaded from the dedicated webpage or obtained from the WSD's Customer Enquiry Centres, respective Home Affairs Enquiry Centres, and the Urban Renewal Authority's Urban Renewal Resource Centre and Cheung Sha Wan Office. 

     The drinking water supplied by the WSD complies with the Hong Kong Drinking Water Standards, but the quality of drinking water could be affected by the internal plumbing systems of buildings. Property owners and management agents of buildings should properly manage and maintain the buildings' internal plumbing systems. Since 2017, the WSD has been promoting the implementation of the WSPB in accordance with the recommendation of the World Health Organization. By devising templates and guidelines, the WSD assists property owners and management agents of buildings to formulate and implement their respective WSPB at their premises, so as to enhance the management and maintenance of the buildings' internal plumbing systems to ensure drinking water safety in buildings.

Ends/Monday, June 15, 2020
Issued at HKT 16:45

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