Worried Hong Kong estate residents buy bottled water as black particles linger

Residents at two Hong Kong public estates whose freshwater supply has been tainted by mystery black particles for five days have resorted to buying bottled water for cooking and feeding their children, while a senior official has said test results are expected this week.

Tenants at Queens Hill Estate in Fanling last week raised concerns about the particles in their freshwater supply, which were followed by similar reports from residents of nearby Shan Lai Court.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho sought to reassure residents on Wednesday that both the public and subsidised housing estates’ water supplies complied with government standards.

She also acknowledged tenants’ concerns and said authorities had started tracing the source of the particles with the help of laboratory tests. The results were expected to be ready this week, she added.

But a test commissioned by local media and conducted by the Education University, which took half a day, found bitumen in the particles.

Meanwhile, residents of at least three blocks out of the seven at Queens Hill Estate said that particles remained in their freshwater supply daily, five days after the problem was reported.

“She [Linn] does not live here, so of course she can say the water supply is fine, why doesn’t she come and drink the water herself?” said Fanny Leung, a mother of two in her thirties who lives in the estate’s Wong Yet House.