Residents of the Queen’s Hill Estate in Fanling reported seeing fewer black particles in their drinking water, although they still feel uneasy and opt to get drinking water from the temporary water tanks set up by the authorities.

This comes after unknown black particles were spotted in the tap water last week and were later confirmed to be asphalt mixed with resins by the Water Supplies Department.

Authorities have confirmed that the black sediment found is entirely harmless, and residents can be assured that it is safe to use and consume.

Some residents noted that there were no obvious black spots in the water after using a filter.

A citizen complained the government’s response was too slow, taking a week to take action despite persistent efforts by residents. She hopes the government will respond more quickly if similar incidents occur in the future.

She added that there were already black spots in the drinking water when she moved to the Estate back in 2022. The problem was temporarily solved after authorities cleaned the water tank. However, she believes that the pipes should have been replaced at that time.

The government stated that it would start replacing approximately 400 meters of asphalt-ridden water pipes in the affected Estate within this year.

The Water Supplies Department stated earlier that it will continue conducting intensive water testing to trace the origin of the issue and confirm the exact causes of the incident.

Water samples will be taken from tanks in seven buildings on the Estate, the community center, the shopping mall, as well as six buildings in Shan Lai Court for testing every day.

The test results will be published on the department’s website subsequently. It will also continue to arrange water tanks to supply water to residents temporarily.

(Khan Heeba Lazmi)

Queen’s Hill Estate residents report fewer black particles in tap water as authorities step up testing