A member of a new panel set up to study water safety, Dr Chan Hon-fai, said their top priority will be to identify an appropriate sampling protocol for drinking water. Photo: RTHK
Chan Hon-fai talks to RTHK's Janice Wong
A new expert panel set up to study water safety said on Wednesday that its top priority will be to identify an appropriate sampling protocol for drinking water in Hong Kong.
The five-member panel was set up on Tuesday based on the recommendation of a Commission of Inquiry which called for a new round of tests for lead in drinking water in every public housing estate.
But a member of the panel, Dr Chan Hon-fai, said they have yet to decide whether to heed the call. "Whether we should go to all the public housing estates…I cannot, at this stage, say yes", Chan told RTHK’s Janice Wong.
"But, definitely we will go and resample some of the public housing estates", he said.
The commission on Tuesday criticised the Water Supplies Department for insisting on testing only samples from running taps. It said stagnant water that has been sitting in the tap for some time should have been used.
Chan said the panel will study whether "first draw", or stagnant water, should be used for future tests.
He also said it will probably take at least six months for the panel to reach conclusions, since the scope of the investigation was "very broad and very complicated".
"I know that the government has promised some rough time frame…probably, next year or something. But…the scope is so broad and complicated. It’s not easy", he said.
The commission had suggested the formulation of a drinking water quality standard, among other recommendations.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1263636-20160601.htm
