HONG KONG — Residents in several Taikoo Shing residential towers raised urgent safety concerns this week after their tap water turned cloudy with an alarming amount of black, granular sediment, prompting an emergency response from water authorities and fueling fears of a potential replay of recent contamination incidents in other parts of Hong Kong.
The unsettling discovery emerged late Tuesday, primarily affecting residents in Phases Four to Seven of the massive private estate. Water filters blackened rapidly, sometimes within hours, and several residents reported clogged and damaged home water heaters. The unsettling situation immediately sparked wide circulation on local community forums, with frightened residents questioning how they could safely cook or drink.
The Water Supplies Department (WSD) dispatched water tankers early Wednesday to provide temporary drinking water and confirmed it is investigating the cause, initially suggesting the issue stemmed from a damaged filter screen at the public pipe inlet serving the estate. Officials are awaiting full laboratory results but noted based on past experience that the black specks are likely asphaltic materials used as coatings inside water pipes.
Widespread Concern as Sediment Appears
The sudden visibility of the black particles—described by one resident as “sesame seed-sized”—echoes a recent high-profile water quality issue at Queen’s Hill Estate, leading many Taikoo Shing residents to purchase bottled water for all consumption and cooking needs.
Resident Ms. Chan, living in Yuen Kung Court, recounted discovering the problem around 9 p.m. Tuesday. “The water pressure dropped suddenly while I was showering, and then the hot water stopped entirely,” she told reporters at the scene, initially believing her water heater had failed. Another resident, Mr. Cheung, said he noticed black impurities in his drinking glass and subsequently throughout his faucets, immediately switching to bottled supplies.
Local District Councillor Derek Ting expressed the community’s palpable anxiety, estimating that “a large proportion of residents” were affected. He urged the WSD to expedite its explanation to quell public fears.
Investigation Focuses on Filtration and Maintenance
WSD officials confirmed they received notification from the Taikoo Shing management office Tuesday evening regarding the “small amount of black particles” reported by residents, mainly in Phases Four and Five. Teams immediately took samples from affected units and internal systems, including rooftop storage tanks, for analysis.
Experts suggest that the recent presence of sediment is linked to operational changes. The department acknowledged that it performed supply reallocation in the Taikoo Shing vicinity the night before to facilitate maintenance work. Shifts in water pressure during this process can often agitate and suspend accumulated sediments within the pipes.
Crucially, the subsequent investigation pinpointed a specific flaw: “a failure of one of the filter screen facilities at the inlet of the estate’s public water pipes,” the WSD stated. This damage is suspected of allowing a small quantity of sediment to enter the estate’s distribution system. The agency noted that the last routine inspection of this screen was conducted on May 3 and found no irregularities.
In response, the WSD immediately repaired the damaged filter screen and initiated intensive flushing of the affected water mains.
Steps to Minimize Contamination Risk
Local Council Member Holden Kwok offered further context, noting that his office received complaints and that the WSD’s preliminary actions, including replacing water meters in some areas, appeared to significantly improve water clarity by Wednesday. He suggested that nearby maintenance, which involved reversing a section of plumbing, might have been a contributing factor that forced trapped residues into the flow.
Authorities are now advising affected residents to take precautionary steps, particularly after periods of stagnation. For instance, residents should flush taps for a short duration each morning or whenever water has been sitting in the pipes to ensure the incoming water is clear before using it for consumption.
The WSD has established a service station on-site alongside property management to address inquiries, organize further pipe flushing, and continuously monitor water quality. Residents observing persistent abnormalities are urged to contact their building management or the WSD customer service hotline directly for immediate follow-up. This latest incident, following similar issues in newer estates months prior, underscores the broader challenges Hong Kong faces in maintaining the integrity of its aging and complex water distribution infrastructure.
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