Bitumen found in water supply of subsidised estate in Hong Kong’s Ma On Shan
Water Supplies Department says it has rolled out cleaning, filtration after contamination found in supply of three blocks in Kam Chun Court
Authorities have found bitumen in the freshwater supply of a Hong Kong subsidised housing estate, tracing the source of the sediment to a public pipe that was inspected last week.
The Water Supplies Department said on Thursday that it was alerted to the issue by the property management office of Kam Chun Court in Ma On Shan, involving blocks C, D and E.
Officers were deployed to collect and test water samples at the relevant flats and freshwater tanks in the buildings.
“The results show that all water samples comply with Hong Kong’s drinking water standards … After testing, the black particles were found to be bitumen, which is inert and not harmful to humans,” the department said on social media.
“We believe the particles resulted from a diversion of the water supply on September 12 to facilitate an inspection of an upstream public water main.
“During the process, the increased water pressure stirred up a small amount of sediment in the relevant service reservoir, prompting bitumen particles to enter the buildings’ internal water supply systems over the past few days.”