Environment | First 255 buildings participate in water quality initiative

The government, through the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) and in collaboration with the Macao Water Company (SAAM), is promoting a new program that aims to promote the improvement of the quality of water consumed by residents through the regular inspection and sanitation of private buildings’ supply systems, DSAMA informed in a statement.

The initiative has already had some 255 buildings agree to participate. They will benefit from a water quality certification, which aims to “encourage the good management and maintenance of water supply systems in buildings,” the bureau stated.

The purpose of the program is to encourage building owners and management companies to comply with the “Guidebook on Maintenance of Water Supply for Buildings,” created by the Bureau with the support of the SAAM.

During the launch ceremony held last week, the director of DSAMA, Susana Wong, noted that there are currently over 1,300 high-rise buildings where the water reserve and supply tanks should be cleaned “at least every six months,” and inspection and analysis of the water stored in them should also be performed regularly.

The director explained that the “guidebook” already exists and has been followed by public housing and other public buildings, and is now aimed at the government, with its extension and application to private and commercial buildings.

Wong also expressed satisfaction over the fact that from the very beginning, the program could count on interest and participation from around 20 percent of Macau’s high-rise buildings, and expressed the hope that the others would follow.

The program’s launch ceremony also served as a commendation opportunity for the 18 building management companies that promised to participate in the initiative.

The building water quality certification is comprised of two different levels: “basic level” certification is conferred to buildings that clean their water tanks at least once every six months, while “high level” certifications will include a water analysis to certify the quality of water running in the building taps. If the water analysis results are good, the building attains a “high level” certification.

Oscar Chu, deputy director of SAAM, said on the sidelines of the event that this is the right time for the implementation of this program as the population is becoming more in tune with health issues.

“We tried to promote this a few years ago. At that time, the response was not spectacular, but DSAMA has made a lot of effort in recent years and it has campaigned for people to perform maintenance on building supply systems,” Chu said to Radio Macau. “Today, there are more people aware of these issues. They are willing to pay a little more to have better water quality and health. It’s all about timing. The right timing is now,” he concluded.

Paul Tse, chairman of the Macau Property Management Association, admitted to Radio Macau that joining the program may lead, in some cases, to an increase in condominium expenses, but noted that the difference would not be significant.
“Water quality testing is something that all buildings must do. And we’re only talking about a few thousand patacas to do the lab tests. I think this is a cost that the residents of the buildings will be willing to share,” he said.

Water quality analyses will last a year. They will test water samples from both the tanks installed on the ground floor, as well as those on the top of the building, and will analyze parameters such as turbidity, residual chlorine, lead and coliforms.

For Chu, the last of the four parameters is the “most critical” for attaining the certification as, “[there] cannot be any traces [of coliforms] in the water.”

According to DSAMA, results from the laboratory tests will be disclosed on the bureau’s website starting January next year. RM