Outdated rules give Hong Kong plumbers too much responsibility for complex projects, engineers' body says

The lead-in-water scandal has revealed that the Water Supplies Department's regulations governing licensed plumbers are outdated, according to a statutory body of professional engineers.

The Waterworks Ordinance stipulates that licensed plumbers are solely responsible for supervising projects - a practice that is no longer appropriate given the complexities of today's multimillion-dollar projects, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers stated.

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"It's about finding the right person to do the right job," Chan Chi-chiu, the institution's president, said yesterday.

"There is nothing [in the legal framework] to prevent somebody who has very little experience from taking charge of a very, very major project, and that's not healthy."

Over the past few months, tens of thousands of residents at 11 public housing estates have found themselves at the centre of a contamination scare after excessive levels of lead were found in their drinking water. Blame for the scandal has shifted from licensed plumbers to water supplies contractors and to the government.

Although the government's task force investigation confirmed the problem was caused by solder material in pipe joints, there has still been no clarification as to who exactly should be held responsible.