Water pipe spewing bitumen in Hong Kong estates to start being replaced this year

Hong Kong will begin replacing a 400-metre (437 yards) section of water pipe lined with bitumen this year before carrying out citywide work, as it is believed to be the source of black particles dirtying the water at two public housing estates.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Saturday that the government would prioritise the stretch of pipe between Queens Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court in Fanling, the only one lined with bitumen that connects the two sites.

She said the city had about 700km (435 miles) of water pipes lined with the substance and her bureau had told the Water Supplies Department to submit a plan to replace old ones across the city.

“To allay public concerns, particularly because of the emergence of sediment at this site, we plan to start the replacement project within this year,” Linn said.

“We have asked the Water Supplies Department to submit a plan to replace old water pipes to the Development Bureau.”

The substance has been banned from use in water pipes in the city since 2005, but authorities have stressed that the water remains safe to consume after residents voiced worries over the presence of the black particles.

Linn said that bitumen-lined pipes were used internationally and posed no harm, with authorities also installing more than 1,000 filters in the water supply system.