The Government will begin work on replacing the water pipe joints at Kai Ching Estate as soon as possible, to minimise the impact of lead contaminating the drinking water, Chief Executive CY Leung says.
Speaking ahead of an Executive Council meeting this morning, Mr Leung said initial investigations have found that soldering materials containing lead used in some pipe joints were the most likely source of contamination at the public housing estate.
He said public areas would be dealt with first, as the work could be done quickly, while arrangements would be made to replace hidden pipe joints and those inside individual units.
A temporary supply of water will be provided to each floor of the estate from the rooftop water tanks, so that residents will no longer need to collect water from the street, Mr Leung added.
He said a thorough investigation into the source of the lead is continuing, adding that there is no evidence to suggest at this point, that prefabricated water pipes or those manufactured outside Hong Kong have problems.
