Hong Kong authorities have confirmed the presence of bitumen in water samples from a private estate in Sai Wan Ho, with the substance believed to have originated from upstream water supply pipe work.
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In a reply to the Post on Thursday, the Water Supplies Department said it conducted tests on water samples after receiving isolated reports from the management office of Grand Promenade in Sai Wan Ho about black particles in drinking water.
The department noted that the water samples collected from the affected flats and the internal water supply system of the buildings, including storage tanks, were found to have complied with the city’s drinking water standards.
“However, a small amount of black particulate sediment was found in the water samples. Preliminary analysis after testing suggests they are bitumen,” the spokesman said.
“We suspect these particulates originated from the public water main works upstream of the supply system, stirred up during the process of restarting the pumping system after the completion of the works.”
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Bitumen, a substance banned for use in pipes laid after 2005, was found recently in the drinking water supply at Queens Hill Estate in Fanling. Authorities said the sediments are likely residual materials that flowed into the estate pipes from an upstream steel pipe three years ago.
The department’s remarks came a day after a lawmaker received complaints about the black particles in the water. A resident also uploaded a photo of a bowl of water with black substances on social media earlier this week.