Following is a question by the Hon Chan Cho-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (October 7):
 
Question:

     It has been reported that the facilities in a number of public toilets located at tourist hotspots and in city centres are dilapidated, and their hygiene condition is poor. There are views that modern public toilet planning should emphasise hygiene, epidemic prevention and privacy protection, and that the design of traditional public toilets fails to meet the public's requirements for hygiene and barrier-free facilities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the specific monitoring mechanism currently put in place by the Government for the daily cleaning and maintenance of public toilets in various districts; as it has been reported that urine residue on rubber floor mats and damaged facilities are still currently found in some public toilets, whether the authorities will consider raising the performance indicators for contractors and increasing the frequency of inspections, so as to improve the hygiene condition of public toilets; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) as a study has pointed out that installing wash basins inside individual toilet compartments can effectively enhance users' privacy and enable them to clean their hands before touching the door handles of the toilet compartments, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection, whether the authorities will consider incorporating this design into the recommended specifications for newly completed and refurbished toilets, so as to shorten the distance between toilet and handwashing facilities inside the toilets and enhance the overall hygiene standard of public toilets; and

(3) whether the Government will revise the existing design guidelines for public toilets to stipulate that all refurbished public toilets must be equipped with the following facilities: wall-hung toilet bowls with touchless flushing systems; touchless wash basins, liquid soap and hand-drying equipment installed inside toilet compartments; air-conditioning or dehumidifying systems; and a comprehensive range of wall-mounted sanitising and sanitary product amenities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government is committed to enhancing the facilities, management and hygiene standards of public conveniences under its purview. Public toilets in Hong Kong are mainly managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).

     In response to the Hon Chan Cho-kwong's question, in consultation with the LCSD and the AFCD, the consolidated reply is as follows:

(1) The Government has put in place a stringent monitoring mechanism for the cleansing and maintenance of public conveniences under its purview. Public toilets managed by the FEHD are thoroughly cleansed at least twice a day. Toilet attendants are deployed in public toilets with higher utilisation rates or those near tourist attractions. Public toilet facilities in country parks are cleansed by AFCD's frontline staff or cleansing service contractors, generally one to four times a day, with some toilets at popular recreation venues also having cleansing staff stationed during the day. The LCSD also stipulates the daily cleansing frequency in the service contract provisions. Cleansing service contractors are required to arrange for cleaning workers to clean toilets at regular intervals throughout the day, and to increase the frequency in response to actual operational needs or as instructed by venue supervisors.

     On facility maintenance, FEHD's contracts stipulate that contractors must conduct repair works to the minor defects of the facilities in its public toilets within 24 hours. For other defects, the FEHD will immediately notify the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) or the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) through the "Minor Works Order Record System" and require the repair works to be completed within the target timeframe, with real-time progress monitoring through the system. The AFCD also regularly monitors the condition of facilities in its public toilet facilities and will arrange repairs immediately upon detection of malfunction or damage. For its portable toilets, the AFCD requires service contractors to follow up on facility malfunction or damage within 24 hours. Upon identifying any damaged or malfunctioning toilet facilities at its venues, the LCSD will also promptly notify the relevant maintenance department to carry out repair works; for urgent repairs, the LCSD requires the maintenance department to follow up the repair works within 24 hours. Venue management staff will closely monitor the repair progress.

     To monitor outsourced cleansing services, the FEHD, the AFCD and the LCSD all conduct regular inspections of the cleanliness, cleansing frequency and attendance of duty staff at public toilets under their purview, so as to assess the performance of contractors. Apart from regular inspections, the LCSD also conducts surprise inspections. Meanwhile, the FEHD makes use of technology to assist inspections, such as using the Adenosine Triphosphate luminometer to assess cleanliness with objective data. Where cleansing condition is found to be unsatisfactory or service falls short of contractual requirements, the FEHD, the AFCD and the LCSD will, in addition to immediately reminding contractors to make improvements, issue verbal or written warnings or default notices to underperforming contractors, in accordance with contractual provisions and established mechanisms, and may even deduct service fees or terminate the contracts.

(2) and (3) The FEHD and the ArchSD have set up a working group to jointly enhance public toilet facilities. At the planning and design stage, they will conduct a comprehensive assessment of factors including the existing site conditions, spatial utilisation, maintenance needs and construction costs, thereby selecting the most suitable design, facilities and building materials. At present, rubber floor mats are no longer used as anti-slip material on the ground surface of public toilets managed by the FEHD. Newly built or refurbished public toilets are all equipped with sensor-type flushing devices, as well as sensor-type taps, soap dispensers, hand dryers and hand sanitiser dispensers in communal areas, with sensor-type toilet seat sanitiser dispensers also provided inside cubicles. In addition, the FEHD has installed advanced air purification systems in over 130 public toilets to eliminate odours and improve air quality, and 15 public toilets have been installed with Smart Public Toilet System. With use of the Internet of Things and odour sensors, the system provides real-time surveillance and will automatically alert supervisors for immediate follow-up when odour concentration levels consistently exceed a certain level.

     The AFCD is also committed to enhancing toilet services in country parks. When planning the construction, reprovisioning or refurbishment of toilet facilities, it will, together with the relevant works departments, conduct a consolidated assessment of various factors, including visitor numbers, the size of the toilets, water and electricity supply, and sewage treatment arrangements, so as to design facilities that are user-friendly while minimising the environmental impact on the natural environment. In support of the Government's Smart City initiatives, the AFCD and the EMSD commenced a pilot scheme to install the smart toilet system in some existing toilets in country parks, including various sensor devices such as cubicle and urinal occupancy sensors, people counting sensors and septic tank liquid level sensors. Indoor air quality sensors are also used to automatically adjust the operating speed of extraction fans to ensure that indoor air quality and odour levels are maintained at an optimal standard, thereby strengthening the efficiency of facility management and enhancing the level of service.

     When constructing or refurbishing toilet facilities, the LCSD will set out its requirements to the responsible works department, including the nature of the venues, projected utilisation rates, available space and operational needs. The works department will then formulate project details after taking into account a host of factors, such as design standards of existing relevant facilities, conditions of facilities, utilisation rates, legal requirements, sewage works and provision of barrier-free facilities. The LCSD will ensure that the facilities meet practical needs and comply with current standards and legal requirements.

     Regarding the suggestion of installing wash hand basins inside individual toilet compartments, various factors have to be taken into account. At present, the total area of most public toilets and toilets in the country parks is limited. Enlarging the cubicles to accommodate wash hand basins would reduce the total number of cubicles available. Users washing their hands inside the cubicles would also lengthen the waiting time for others. Moreover, washing hands inside the cubicles may wet the ground surface, causing inconvenience to users and potentially increasing the risk of slipping. Should the wash hand basin malfunction, the entire cubicle would need to be closed for repair even if the water closet is functioning normally, directly affecting the service and user experience.

     The Government will closely monitor the latest developments and design trends of public sanitation facilities, and introduce new technologies and equipment where practicable, so as to drive continuous enhancement of the hygiene standards and quality of service of public toilets, thereby addressing the expectations of members of the public and tourists for quality public facilities.

Ends/Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:45

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