All stages of Hong Kong’s water supply process, from raw water collection to water treatment and distribution, are strictly controlled to ensure that drinking water quality meets the required standards. The Water Supplies Department (WSD) literally takes to heart the Chinese saying, "Illnesses enter through the mouth", as unclean drinking water can be a source of sickness.
Hong Kong’s quality of drinking water is comparable to that of other developed countries in the world. The WSD continuously ensures that the quality of drinking water supplied to connection points of buildings meets the standards of the World Health Organization's “Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality”. However, the actual quality of drinking water inside high-rise buildings is dependent on a building’s inside service. The widely-reported "lead in drinking water incidents" in 2015 exposed the potential risks to a building’s inside service. It is essential all stakeholders ensure there is professional and regular inspection and maintenance of a building’s inside service during and after construction.
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) took these incidents seriously and within two weeks established an inter-departmental "Task Force on Investigation of Excessive Lead Content in Drinking Water" to investigate. This was followed by the establishment of a "Commission of Inquiry into Excess Lead Found in Drinking Water" with the power to summon witnesses to investigate the causes of the incident. As a result of the Commission’s Report, a series of measures to enhance drinking water safety were implemented. This was an important recent step in ensuring the development of drinking water safety of Hong Kong’s modern drinking water supply.
This chapter summarises the lessons learned from the above incidents. The WSD has adopted more proactive approaches in its overall strategy toward drinking water safety, these include: routine consultation with international experts to gather opinions, establishment of a Drinking Water Safety Advisory Committee to monitor WSD’s performance and water quality, and promulgation of drinking water standards that are applicable to Hong Kong. In addition, the WSD has updated the commissioning requirements for plumbing works and materials, strengthened the management and training of licensed plumbers, and raised public awareness of the importance of drinking water safety. Owners of buildings are also encouraged to conduct risk assessments and regular maintenance of their internal plumbing systems.
To further implement these measures, the government has proposed relevant amendments to the Waterworks Ordinance. The proposed amendments to the current legislation will ensure water efficiency and to regulate overcharging of water bills in subdivided units to meet current environmental and social needs.
