Amoy Gardens to be fitted with anti-Sars drainage system

$800,000 renovation work will be paid for by a team of professional volunteers

An alliance of professional volunteers, including engineers and architects, will pay for and renovate the drainage system at Sars-struck Amoy Gardens to prevent the return of the virus which killed 42 residents there last year.

The Coalition of Professional Services is raising $800,000 to improve the drainage design, which is believed to have been responsible for the outbreak in Block E.

Architects and engineers had previously said the spread of Sars at Amoy Gardens was caused by the design of the U-bend pipes. This caused the floor drains of the wash basins and baths to dry up if not refilled constantly and thereby provided a channel for the virus to spread from one flat to another.

The coalition's chairman, Leung Chun-ying, said yesterday that additional pipes would be attached to the outside walls of the apartments and there would no need to replace the existing U-bend drains of individual units.

'The new design is like a heart by-pass operation, basically by providing water shields, in addition to what's already inside [the apartments], to make sure that this possible means for the spread of Sars and other diseases is totally and effectively dealt with.'

Mr Leung said the water pipes installed on the outside wall would supply a constant water flow to prevent the drains and pipes from drying up.