Latest news with #bitumen
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong lawmakers push for bitumen-lined water pipe replacement and disclosure
Hong Kong authorities have been urged by lawmakers to disclose the locations of pipes lined with bitumen and to install sensors to monitor water quality after the substance was discovered in the freshwater supply at two public housing estates. The government previously stated that 700km (434 miles) of water pipes, accounting for eight per cent of the city's total water pipe network, had an inner protective coating of bitumen. Lawmaker and engineer Lo Wai-kwok on Monday said the pipes in question should be replaced as soon as possible and their locations disclosed to the public to avoid a repeat of similar incidents. 'Although we have found the source of the bitumen and installed filters, the public are still worried,' he said on a radio programme. 'I think it is alright to reveal the locations of these pipes. Having these coatings does not mean they have an urgent issue and there are new technologies which can monitor their situations. 'It is necessary for the government to be open and transparent. The public are concerned about which residential buildings are affected by these pipes.'
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong water safety scandal: what happened and how to protect yourself
Hong Kong's leader has rolled out 10 measures to address a freshwater contamination case involving banned substances dirtying the supply at two public housing estates. Advertisement The Post unpacks the water safety concerns behind the saga and how people can protect themselves. 1. What's the scandal about? Residents at two public rental and subsidised estates in Fanling first reported the presence of black particles in their drinking water on Friday last week, prompting some to buy bottled water as speculation mounted over the source of the mysterious dark specks. Government test results on Thursday confirmed that the particles found in the freshwater supply at Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court in Fanling were bitumen, a substance produced through the distillation of crude oil and known for its waterproofing and adhesive properties. It has been banned from use in water pipes since 2005, but authorities have stressed that the water remains safe to consume. A resident at Queens Hill Estate in Fanling buys bottled water following concerns over water safety. Photo: Nora Tam The latest tests showed the bitumen was found to be mixed with resin, a thick substance typically produced by plants.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Replacement work on water pipe that gave Hongkongers scare to begin this year
Hong Kong will begin replacing a 400-metre (437 yards) section of water pipe lined with bitumen this year before carrying out citywide work, as it is believed to be the source of black particles dirtying the water at two public housing estates. Advertisement Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Saturday that the government would prioritise the stretch of pipe between Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court in Fanling, the only one lined with bitumen that connects the two sites. She said the city had about 700km (435 miles) of pipes lined with the substance and her bureau had told the Water Supplies Department to submit a plan to replace old ones across the city. 'To allay public concerns, particularly because of the emergence of sediment at this site, we plan to start the replacement project within this year,' Linn said. 'We have asked the Water Supplies Department to submit a plan to replace old water pipes to the Development Bureau.' Advertisement The substance has been banned from use in water pipes in the city since 2005, but authorities have stressed that the water remains safe to consume after residents voiced worries over the presence of the black particles. Linn said that bitumen-lined pipes were used internationally and posed no harm, with authorities also installing more than 1,000 filters in the water supply system.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
‘Embarrassing': how Hong Kong's response to bitumen in water supply shows ‘flaws'
Hong Kong officials have faced criticism over their handling of the discovery of a banned substance in the water supply of two public housing estates, as lawmakers and experts accuse the administration of being slow to respond, failing to show accountability and lacking awareness. A veteran political analyst also called the government's response 'embarrassing', saying it undermined the city's efforts to show improvements in public welfare before an anticipated visit by a senior Beijing official. Seven days after the case of bitumen in the water supply came to light, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Friday night listed out 10 response measures for government departments to implement. The moves include setting up an expert team to trace the source of the substance and replacing the water pipes involved. But the government has yet to fully explain the presence of bitumen – a petroleum-derived substance banned from use for pipes after 2005 – in drinking water at Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court in Fanling. Residents first reported finding 'mysterious dark substances' on Friday last week. 'The incident shows two major flaws of the government,' said Sonny Lo Shiu-hing, a veteran political commentator and observer of the politics of Hong Kong and Macau. 'It was slow in response and it failed to name the cause, thus it was unable to provide accountability.'
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Banned but harmless substance found in 2 Hong Kong housing estate freshwater pipes
Black particles found in the freshwater supply at two public housing estates are mainly bitumen, authorities have said, stressing that the water is safe to drink. Director of Water Supplies Roger Wong Yan-lok sought to reassure the public on Thursday after government tests revealed the presence of the substance – which is banned from use in pipes – in most of the 126 samples collected from blocks in Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court, both in Fanling. 'Bitumen is insoluble in water and is not harmful to humans,' he said. Wong added that experts commissioned by the Water Supplies Department five years ago did not find any toxic substances in three litres of hot water boiled with 10 grams of bitumen. 'Even if residents drink water containing bitumen, there is no need to worry,' he said. Hong Kong's Global 6K for Water run highlights need for clean water Residents at the two public rental and subsidised estates first reported the presence of black particles in their drinking water last Friday, prompting some to buy bottled water as speculation grew over the source of the mysterious dark specks. Wong said the amount of bitumen – a black, sticky substance obtained from crude oil – found in the current samples was three-thousandths of the quantity per litre used in the department's past experiment. The latest tests showed the bitumen was found to be mixed with resin, a thick substance typically produced by plants. Wong said the pipes supplying freshwater to the two estates, completed between 2021 and 2022, were not lined with bitumen. The substance has not been used as an inner coating material in pipes laid after 2005. Residents of two Hong Kong public estates have started buying bottled water after finding black particles in their freshwater supply. Photo: Dickson Lee He said authorities believed that the bitumen could be left over from 2022 when the government received reports of a large amount of sediment flowing into the pipes of Queens Hill Estate. The sediment could have stayed in the pipes when Queens Hill Estate was used as a quarantine facility the same year. Wong said authorities had cleaned the pipes and installed equipment that could filter out substances larger than 0.1mm in December 2022. He noted that some sediment remained in the plumbing system, with the pieces becoming smaller and able to move over time. Wong also said the resin might be coming off the coating of valves in the plumbing. The government will step up efforts to clean the residue in pipes and test the water quality daily until the problem is solved, Wong added. Listen Up: Scientists uncover germs hidden in reusable water bottles that need cleaning Authorities will also replace materials in valves when necessary, while additional filters will be installed at every block of Shan Lai Court. The department later said it would upload its water test results daily on its website, adding that records showed the upper stream of the supply system in the area had a section that used bitumen as the inner coating material. Despite repeated assurances over the safety of the water supply, residents have continued to voice their worries, with a mother at one of the estates finding that black particles stuck to the surface of bottles when she tried to prepare baby milk formula. Asked whether he would apologise to the public, Wong said he could present his reassurances 'in another way' in the future to address public concern. A resident wraps a tap with tissue to filter out black particles. Photo: Nora Tam Wong King, executive president of the International Institute of Utility Specialists, said the bitumen could have come from old pipes outside the Queen's Hill neighbourhood. He added that bitumen could have also fallen into the pipes accidentally when the estates were being built. He said he believed that the incident was an isolated case, adding that it would be sufficient for authorities to clean the plumbing system rather than reinstall the pipes, as the latter would be inconvenient for residents. Drinking Water Safety Advisory Committee chairman Chan Hon-fai said it was possible that the substance came from old public pipes and had remained in the upper stream of those in Queen's Hill. He said that sediment could not be washed away initially, as the water velocity was low, with very few residents moving into Queens Hill Estate a few years ago. As more residents moved in, the water velocity would increase and push sediment out through taps in flats, Chan added. He suggested that authorities use technology as they continue to clean the pipes: 'I believe they can deploy small robots to check whether there is sediment remaining in the pipes.' Chan stressed that the water was safe but advised residents against consuming the particles.
