The Education Bureau is concerned about the quality of school drinking water and has contacted the Government Logistics Department to assist kindergartens and schools to arrange for bulk purchase of filters.
Pending the outcome of a study on the cause of excessive lead in drinking water, an inter-departmental meeting, and professional advice, the bureau has come to a view that premises built after 2005 where children under six stay for a long time and consume drinking water, should consider installing filters that can reduce the lead content.
The bureau has set up a hotline 3698 4125 to answer schools’ enquiries on the matter. Based on information gathered from the telephone enquiries, it will review the current arrangement and plan follow-up action to provide appropriate support.
Individual schools which decide to conduct their own water tests are reminded that the accuracy of such tests involves complex factors, including time, method and location of taking water samples, and whether examinations are conducted by accredited laboratories.
