Hong Kong's Water Supplies Department has firmly rejected demands to repair leaking water pipes at Fairview Park, stating the legal responsibility lies with the estate's owners or registered agent, not the government.
The statement came on Saturday after the Fairview Park Small Owners' Rights Association issued a press release calling on the WSD to undertake maintenance. The department called this demand "completely out of order" and a misrepresentation of its regulatory role.
The WSD clarified that under Section 7 of the Waterworks Ordinance and the estate's land lease, consumers or the registered agent are responsible for the custody and maintenance of the internal water mains. It noted clause 42 of the land lease only makes the government responsible for mains it laid on roads surrendered to the government. However, most pipes in Fairview Park were laid by the land grantee, and the relevant roads remain private land.
Despite the department's repeated explanations, the association continues to misinterpret the provisions, the WSD said, urging it to stop disseminating inaccurate information.
To assist in resolving the water loss issue, the WSD has engaged an independent expert panel to provide third-party advice using advanced technology. The panel aims to deliver preliminary findings by April. The WSD will then consider the advice to plan follow-up actions and provide technical support to owners and the management office.
