Drinking water at Hong Kong building found to contain elevated levels of lead
- Water Supplies Department reveals sample taken from private commercial building in Wan Chai exceeded city’s safety standards
- Testing finds 17 micrograms in water, higher than the permitted 10 micrograms
Drinking water at a commercial building in Wan Chai has been found to contain an excessive amount of lead, Hong Kong officials said on Wednesday.
The discovery, which was revealed by the Water Supplies Department, was the first since a government monitoring programme was launched four years ago. Authorities have refused to identify the private building concerned.
Announcing the weekly monitoring data for consumers’ taps under the Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring Programme, the department said that out of 15 samples, 17 micrograms of lead were found in one taken from the premises.
The sample was tested again 30 minutes later, and 12 micrograms of lead were found.
Hong Kong follows the World Health Organization’s standard, which caps the amount of lead in tap water at 10 micrograms per litre, more stringent than the 15 micrograms in the United States, or 50 micrograms in mainland China.
