Little action taken on dripping air-cons
While complaints flood in, the official response is cool, yet academics warn the drip of grimy water is not only unpleasant but bad for health
Soaring summer temperatures are amplified in Hong Kong's concrete jungle, driving urbanites indoors and into the refuge of air conditioning.
But outside, irksome droplets of grimy water rain down on pedestrians from leaky air-conditioning units above.
The problem is worsening year by year, according to government statistics, yet the policy response so far has been underwhelming.
Complaints about dripping air-cons have doubled since 2004, as have nuisance notices issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) warning property owners to fix leaks within three days. However, even though there were 20,000 complaints last year, only 631 nuisance notices were issued.
"This is just the reported number," said James Middleton, chairman of environmental group Clear the Air. "It is obviously higher, considering the [number] of pedestrians who get dripped on."
Dr Christopher Chao Yu-hang, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Science and Technology, said: "Dripping from A/C systems may provide sites for micro-organisms to germinate, such as those leading to legionnaires' disease, and may pose potential health hazards to occupants."
