ELIZABETH CHEUNG
ELIZABETH.CHEUNG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 25 August, 2015, 7:01am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 25 August, 2015, 7:01am
This resident of Wing Cheong Estate in Sham Shui Po will soon have a water filter installed. Photo: David Wong
Paul Y General Contractors will start installing water filters later this month in its two public housing estates, where tests earlier revealed excessive amounts of lead in drinking water.
The installation, which will take around three weeks, is being undertaken in Wing Cheong Estate in Sham Shui Po and Tung Wui Estate in Wong Tai Sin. A total of 2,821 flats in the two estates will receive filters by the end of next month. During installation, a telephone hotline will be set up to answer residents’ inquiries. The company will also change the filter cartridges for free for a period of two years after installation.
The filters comply with US National Sanitation Foundation standards.
The contractor is the fourth and last contractor to start installing water filters in housing estates with excessive lead. Shui On Building Contractors and Yau Lee Construction were the first to announce installation work, followed by China State Construction Engineering last week. Residents in the 10 affected estates are expected to have water filters installed by the end of next month.
Meanwhile, lawmakers called for water to be tested in all schools after a primary school in Sham Shui Po was found to have excessive lead in its water. They made the call yesterday during a special meeting of the Legislative Council’s health panel.
I expect there should be more schools [testing for excessive lead]
DEMOCRAT HELENA WONG
“If we don’t do that, parents will be worried. I expect there should be more schools [testing for excessive lead],” said Democratic Party lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan.
There were also calls from lawmakers to extend the coverage of blood tests to other vulnerable groups such as chronically ill patients, the elderly and children who are older than eight.
Health minister Dr Ko Wing-man said with limited resources, priority was being given to groups facing the greatest risk. “For children who are growing, their nervous system might be affected even with a slight amount of lead,” said Ko. “We have to focus resources on those who are more likely to be affected.”
The government is currently testing children aged eight or younger, breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women. As of last Thursday, the Hospital Authority had tested 1,773 people. A total of 126 – most of them children – recorded a level of lead in their blood that was slightly higher than recommended limits.
The waiting time for tests has been cut to about three weeks now that some private hospitals are involved in testing.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1852212/fourth-contractor-install-water-filters-two-hong
