Hong Kong to Update Drinking Water Testing Standards with New Parameters by June 2025.

Government announces updates to routine drinking water testing programme and Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring Programme

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) has been committed to providing high-quality and reliable drinking water to Hong Kong citizens in accordance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Following the release of the latest Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (GDWQ) by the WHO in 2022, the Government has commissioned an expert consultant to review the routine drinking water testing programme for Hong Kong Drinking Water Standards. The review also covers the latest developments in drinking water standards/guidelines across a number of jurisdictions. Based on the review findings and recommendations of the expert consultant, the Government will update the routine drinking water testing programme, including the addition of three new parameters, namely "manganese", "cylindrospermopsins" and "saxitoxins", as well as the expansion of the coverage of an existing parameter "microcystin-LR". These revisions were proposed in accordance with the latest WHO's GDWQ and have been submitted to the Drinking Water Safety Advisory Committee, which comprises academics, medical experts and relevant industry stakeholders, for deliberation. The Committee's agreement on the proposed revisions has been obtained.

Regarding two parameters of "tetrachloroethene" and "uranium", covered under the current testing programme, previous routine drinking water quality monitoring data showed that their contents were extremely low or even undetectable, far below the level that would pose a risk to health. These two parameters will be excluded from the routine testing programme, but will still be included in the Surveillance List to facilitate the WSD's surveillance monitoring from time to time. The Committee's agreement on the recommendation has also be obtained.

Under the routine drinking water testing programme, water samples are taken from catchments, impounding reservoirs, water treatment works, service reservoirs, water distribution systems and water taps accessible to the general public (e.g. shopping centres, community facilities, sports venues, government offices, etc) for testing. The parameters covered by the programme are established in accordance with WHO's GDWQ, with testing frequencies ranging from daily to monthly, while the parameters covered by the Surveillance List are usually tested once every six months.

In addition, the WSD expands the scope of drinking-water quality monitoring through the Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring Programme (Enhanced Programme) to cover water taps of all residential and non-residential customers. Each year, about 670 premises will be randomly selected from all water accounts in Hong Kong. Samples will be collected from water taps of these premises for testing of six metals (namely antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and nickel), residual chlorine and Escherichia coli. According to the monitoring data over the past years, the levels of antimony in drinking water samples collected from these premises have always been below the reporting limit. Based on the advice of the expert consultant, the WSD will stop testing antimony under the Enhanced Programme, while the testing of other items remain unchanged. This arrangement has been agreed by the Committee.

The above proposal will be implemented from June 2025. The public may visit the WSD's website for the latest updates.

Routine drinking water testing programme

www.wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/water-quality/my-drinking-water-quality/index.html

Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring Programme

www.wsd.gov.hk/en/core-businesses/water-quality/action-plan-for-enhancing-of-drinking-water-safety/drinking-water-standards-enhanced-water-quality/index.html

LegCo to consider the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong Bill

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on next Wednesday (May 14) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debate on the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong Bill will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

The Second Reading debate on the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024 will also resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

On Government motion, the Secretary for Justice will move a proposed resolution under the Fatal Accidents Ordinance. The proposed resolution is set out in Appendix 1.

On Member's Bill, the Second Reading debate on the City University of Hong Kong (Amendment) Bill 2025 will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

On Members' motions, Michael Tien will move a motion on "Actively dovetailing with national and global trends and studying the reform of the curriculum framework for primary and secondary schools". The motion is set out in Appendix 2.

Yiu Pak-leung will move a motion on "Reinforcing Hong Kong's role as an international tourism hub and consolidating its position as a world-class premier tourism destination". The motion is set out in Appendix 3.

Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

Source: AI-generated images