Hong Kong tainted water parties maintain they were unaware of health risks as official inquiry ends
Government fact-finding commission hears contrasting claims from lawyers for Housing Authority and builder
The finger-pointing over last year’s tainted water scare continued right up to the end of the five-month probe, which ended yesterday, with key parties all insisting they had not been told about the health risks posed by excessive lead in drinking water.
While the inquiry did not aim to apportion blame, a lawyer tasked with the fact-finding mission questioned whether the work culture of local government departments and authorities had contributed to the imbroglio.
Similarly high levels were later found at several other public housing estates and excessive lead was identified in materials used to solder pipes in the flats, prompting the government to set up a commission to investigate.
READ MORE: Plumbers should have known materials containing lead were banned, Hong Kong’s water authority tells inquiry
He said the authority was in a better position to supervise the projects, given its resources and expertise.
