Editorial | New cameras can help tackle scourge of dripping air conditioners
AI technology and stricter enforcement will be central to combating the nuisance, which can also pose a danger to public health
Air conditioners have made living in Hong Kong’s high-rise compact units much more pleasant during the hot summer months. However, the comfort may also become a nuisance to others, with the cooling devices in some neighbourhoods dripping like a rainforest. This is not helped when enforcement against the offence remains slack.
It is good that the government has sought to overcome the challenges in enforcement by using night-vision cameras to detect dripping from high-rise buildings in the evenings. Between May and August 24, some 5,200 cases were settled with the help of cameras and other inspection and enforcement measures, according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
First- and second-generation cameras already enable officers to manually track sources of dripping up to 20 storeys and 40 storeys, respectively. Authorities hope to apply the use of artificial intelligence in the third-generation device by next year.
Dripping air conditioners are not only an environmental nuisance; they also pose a danger when people step onto busy roads to avoid getting wet. The surface water created can play host to bacteria and pose a public health risk. With just a few thousand nuisance notices issued and a small number of prosecutions, much more can and should be done.