Hong Kong water quality

Hong Kong water quality.

Is the tap water at my home potable?

The quality of water treated in WSD treatment works is as good as that of many well-developed countries and regions. You can drink tap water without boiling on condition that the management of your building is done properly.
When water is delivered to consumers' taps via inside plumbing, the quality may not be the same as the quality of water produced by the treatment works. It is because unlined galvanized pipes were widely used in Hong Kong in the past. These pipes began to corrode after being in use for several years. Discoloured water results after water has been stagnant inside the pipe for a certain period of time.
As far as is known, we suffer no harmful effects from drinking water with traces of dissolved iron. In fact, the average person's daily intake of iron from consumption of food far exceeds that from drinking such water. Under normal circumstances, this aesthetic problem can usually be overcome by running the tap for a few seconds. For the more serious cases, replacement of the water pipes may be necessary.
Since 23 December 1995, the use of unlined galvanized pipes has been prohibited. To avoid corrosion of pipes, other pipe materials such as lined galvanized steel pipes, copper pipes, stainless steel pipes and polyethylene pipes are recommended.
The maintenance of water storage tanks is also very important. Therefore, you should monitor the management office of your building to make sure that they regularly clean the water storage tanks and maintain the water supply system in good condition. If you have doubts about the cleanliness of the supply system in your building, you should consider boiling water for drinking.

Is Hong Kong's treated water safe for consumption?

Hong Kong's water is safe and the risk of getting cancer from drinking water is almost zero.
Average chloroform (a substance considered as possibly carcinogenic to human) levels in our water have remained less than 50 g/litre for a long time, which is far lower than the WHO guideline value of 200 g/litre.
In our daily life, the chance of contact with carcinogenic substances through other channels is greater than that of drinking water. According to scientific research, the chance of getting cancer is less than 1 in 100 000 if you drink 2 litres of water containing 200 g/liter chloroform every day for 70 years continuously.

Why does the tap water contain a smell of chlorine?

As the majority of Hong Kong people are living in high-rise buildings, it may take a long time for the final water from treatment works to go through the roof tanks before supplying to the consumers. A small amount of residual chlorine is maintained in the water to keep it free from bacterial infection during its journey in the distribution system. This minimal amount of chlorine will disappear if the water is boiled.

Why are sediments always found in my electric kettle?

In Hong Kong, the treated water which is soft in nature is left with a small amount of minerals even it is visually clear. If you do not wash the electric kettle after frequent uses, sometimes it is observed that sediments of minerals will be left and accumulated in your electric kettle.
Minerals left in your kettle are mainly calcium salts, trace amounts of which will not adversely affect the water quality or our health. This phenomenon is more common in other countries using hard water. You can simply use lemon juice to remove the minerals that have accumulated in your electric kettle.

Is it necessary to install a domestic water filter (including that incorporated in a drinking fountain or other similar water using apparatus)?

Hong Kong enjoys one of the safest water supplies in the world. The quality of the water supplied by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) up to customers' building/lot boundaries conforms to the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality recommended by the World Health Organization and is stringently monitored through extensive sampling at treatment works, distribution networks and customers' taps. WSD does not recommend the installation of any domestic water filters because they may become ideal breeding ground for bacterial growths and give rise to health hazards if they are not properly maintained.
http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/html/others/faq_wq.htm

Hong Kong enjoys one of the safest water supplies in the world. The Water Supplies Department has a comprehensive programme to monitor water quality from collection, to water treatment processes and on to distribution to consumers. Water samples are taken regularly throughout the entire supply and distribution system. The sampling points include water treatment works, service reservoirs, trunk mains, connection points and domestic taps. The data from these samples are checked against the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, which were developed by experts from around the world. With this international standard of reference, you can rest assured that the water in your home is safe for consumption.
The water that comes out of your taps is amongst the safest in the world, as long as the plumbing in your property is properly maintained. Unlined galvanised steel pipes are prone to rusting and have been banned in new buildings since 1995. If you still have unlined galvanised pipes in your building you should replace them with lined galvanised pipes, copper pipes, stainless steel pipes or polyethylene pipes. You should also watch out for discoloured water emerging from your taps, which is a visible indicator of stagnant water. Running the tap for a few seconds should usually fix this problem, but if it persists you should again consider replacing your pipes.

http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/water/drinkingwater.htm

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