ERNEST KAO ERNEST.KAO@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Monday, 27 July, 2015, 10:50am
UPDATED : Monday, 27 July, 2015, 1:18pm
The committee will review the current arrangements for quality control and monitor fresh water supply system installations at public housing estates. Photo: David Wong
The head of a new committee set up to check quality control and works supervision of water supplies at Hong Kong public housing estate says he hopes to commence their first meeting as soon as possible and complete a report within three months.
Cheung Tat-tong, chairman of the Housing Authority’s Review Committee on Quality Assurance Issues Relating to Fresh Water Supply of Public Housing Estates said the goal of the committee was “not to find out who was responsible” for the lead-tainted water crisis but to find out what went wrong along the way.
Cheung said the committee would examine product specifications, materials procurement and works tendering processes.
"I hope we can start the first meeting as soon as possible and see what everyone thinks of our terms of reference, our work plan and scope of work," he told DBC Radio. “Ideally, we hope our review will be completed in about three months.”
The committee was approved on Friday, charged with comprehensively reviewing the current arrangements for quality control and monitoring of fresh water supply system installations at public housing estates.
It will review aspects of quality inspection relating to materials used, carry out inspections and works supervision at different stages of construction, before reporting its findings to the Housing Authority with recommendations and follow-up actions.
“In our recommendations, we will look at their feasibility … implementation and we will also consider how much it will cost in public funds and the time it will take,” Cheung said, adding the review would be pragmatic and balance different societal interests.
“There are things that can be done, but from a different perspective, there could be resource constraints that we may need to factor in,” he said. “For example, I’ve been telling people, using non-mainland [materials] isn’t a problem. You can use everything locally. But it will just be more expensive and your lead time will be longer. Can society accept this? ”
The eight-member group was still trying to arrange a date for a meeting as it was difficult to find a mutual time, especially because half of the committee members were legislative councillors, Cheung said.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1843954/head-hong-kong-water-committee-aims-find-out-went
