The Housing Department will inspect the water quality at public housing estates which were completed at around the same time as Kai Ching Estate, Secretary for Transport & Housing Prof Anthony Cheung announced today.
Prof Cheung told a press conference this afternoon that the water inspections are in response residents' concerns about the level of lead in the estate's tap water affecting their health.
The tests will be carried out at nine public housing estates completed after 2013 and at Kwai Luen Estate phase one, he added.
After excessive lead was found in a water sample taken from a vacant flat in Shui Chuen O Estate yesterday, 10 more samples were tested and the results showed that their lead levels were within limits, Prof Cheung noted.
Secretary for Development Paul Chan also announced the members of a task force that will investigate excessive lead in drinking water, which will be chaired by the Deputy Director of Water Supplies.
The group includes three experts from outside the Government: Advisory Committee on Water Resources & Quality of Water Supplies Chairman HF Chan, University of Hong Kong Mechanical Engineering Department former Associate Prof George Greene and Chinese University Chemistry Department Prof Tony Shing.
Mr Chan said the task force will investigate how lead is getting into household water and will make recommendations on measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The Centre for Health Protection's hotline 2125 1122 has received 981 enquiries and arranged 550 blood tests so far.
