On This Day | Safety scare over Hong Kong public housing drinking water in 2015 - from the SCMP archive
On this day 10 years ago, lead levels in tap water at Kai Ching Estate sparked fears about safety of supplies in Hong Kong’s public housing
This article was first published on July 12, 2015.
By Emily Tsang
Alert raised over tap water as more lead samples found
Fears are growing over the safety of water supplied to Hong Kong’s public housing after a contamination scare spread on Saturday (July 11, 2015) in a development which a top government official has described as “highly concerning’’.
Just days after initial tests revealed excessive levels of lead in the water from the Kai Ching Estate in Kowloon City, three more samples have been found to breach World Health Organisation safety levels.
Tests will now be carried out at four other estates – Lung Yat Estate in Tuen Mun, Cheung Sha Wan Estate in Sham Shui Po, Shui Chuen O Estate in Sha Tin, and Kwai Luen Estate in Kwai Chung – all of which used the same licensed plumber as the Kai Ching Estate.
The water scare – which has caused scenes reminiscent of the 1970s on the estate with residents taking water from fire hydrants – comes as the government pledges to give priority to livelihood issues. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was quick to react.