Changes in the pipeline for sewage systems at Hong Kong housing estates after coronavirus scare raises concerns
- Improvements were first suggested, though not mandated, by Buildings Department in wake of 2003 Sars outbreak
- While Housing Authority has design autonomy for public estates, they are expected to comply with the new amendments
Sewage design improvements first suggested – though not always implemented – during the 2003 Sars outbreak could soon be a reality at new public housing estates in the wake of last week’s scare at a Tsing Yi apartment block, where the deadly coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was thought to have spread through the pipes.
The planned changes, confirmed on Tuesday by Hong Kong’s Buildings Department, will mandate separate waste pipes for upper and lower floors as well as an improved U-shaped water pipe.
While public housing estates, managed by Housing Authority (HA), have their own design approval mechanism, the HA typically follows Buildings Department rules, which are already mandatory for all private buildings.
In a reply to the Post, a Buildings Department spokesman confirmed that while the amendment was originally planned to be introduced for 2021-22, the department is now considering if the legislation could be speeded up. Even so, some lawmakers decried the move as too little too late.