Lead in pipes and banned material ‘probably to blame’ for Kowloon City estate water scare, CY Leung says

Lead-containing substances binding joints in water pipes and banned soldering material were most likely to blame for a deepening water scare at a Kowloon City public housing estate, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said today.

Leung said this was the initial assessment by the government on the cause of excessive lead detected in tap water at the Kai Ching Estate.

“The most probable cause is that lead-containing and banned soldering material was used in some pipe joints,” he said before the Executive Council meeting this morning.

“Certainly we also do not rule out the possibilities of other parts in the water supply system, such as taps, containing lead,” Leung said, adding officials would investigate in detail.

The government will now pull water ducts to every floor of the six blocks in the estate from their rooftop water tanks to provide water for residents.

In another immediate remedy, Leung said government workers would replace substandard joints located outside flats and on corridors.

As for those situated inside flats, Leung said authorities would need to make replacement arrangements after discussing with individual households.