Water Supplies Department ‘concerned' after reports of residents experiencing diarrhoea amid water quality complaints
The Water Supplies Department has expressed concerns about some residents reportedly suffering from diarrhoea after unknown black particles were found in drinking water at two government housing estates in Fanling.
The department said on its Facebook page on Tuesday evening that it has been closely following the water quality issue at Queen's Hill Estate and the adjacent Shan Lai Court, which shares the same water supply system.
'Today, there were reports that some residents have experienced diarrhoea,' the department's post in Chinese read. 'The Water Supplies Department is extremely concerned.'
Drinking water samples at both estates have already been tested and found to meet drinking water standards in Hong Kong, it said.
But given complaints from some residents suffering diarrhoea, assessment reports for those water samples have been sent to the Department of Health for evaluation, the department said.
At least 11 residents in Shan Lai Court suffered from diarrhoea over the past few days, the Oriental Daily News reported on Tuesday. Water in a supermarket in Queen's Hill Estate was out of stock as residents bought bottled water due to concerns about the quality of tap water, according to the media outlet.
The Water Supplies Department received reports starting from last Friday that residents at Queen's Hill Estate, a public housing estate, discovered unidentified black particles in their drinking water.
And since last Saturday, the department has also been receiving similar reports from residents at Shan Lai Court, a government subsidised sale estate, the department said in response to local media outlets.
'Won't cause any harm'
Roger Wong, the director of water supplies, said on RTHK on Monday that the department found that pipes leading to Queen's Hill Estate were in good condition, with no black particles detected.
But black particles were found in the estate's water tank filters, he said.
The department has collected water samples for testing and ordered the estate to clean and flush the water tanks, Wong added.
'After days of cleaning and flushing the water tanks, the black particles should have been removed,' Wong said, adding that black particles have also been found in some other public housing estates as well.
'Those are usually inert substances and won't cause any harm to people,' Wong has said.
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