Clean payout: Hong Kong contractors pledge HK$20 million for housing estate water bills over lead contamination

Four contractors will spend HK$20 million to help 29,000 households in public housing estates pay their water bill for about a year, after water samples collected in their estates were found to be contaminated with lead.

The contractors would pay up to HK$660 in water charges for each household affected by the contamination.

Water charges are to be paid quarterly and it was understood that a three-person family usually spent about HK$100 to HK$200 every three months.

Announcing the payout at the Legislative Council, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said: "The four contractors wish to add that this additional initiative is only meant to show their goodwill and care for the households, and was unrelated to the issue of responsibility [for the contamination]."

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Lam also said she knew some affected residents wanted the government to waive their water charges or their rent, but she believed this was inappropriate.

Prior to this, the contractors also agreed to install water filters for the households.