Gov’t unlikely to legislate on tap water lead levels

Secretary Rosário has hinted that the government is unlikely to legislate on lead levels in tap water supplied to private buildings anytime soon.
Several lawmakers asked the government to legislate on water lead levels for private and public buildings at yesterday’s Legislative Assembly plenary meeting, suggesting the administration introduce regulations preventing the use of lead materials, particularly in private buildings’ plumbing systems.
The Secretary said that the government is not planning to draft a law requiring private and public housing complexes’ management to monitor tap water lead levels.
Lawmaker Kwan Tsui Hang delivered a spoken enquiry on the subject, pointing out that this is “a matter of public health.”
She recalled the recent tainted water scare in Hong Kong, and added that tap water in Macau’s private buildings is not regularly tested. Ms Kwan said there’s no inspection plan to ensure water safety within these buildings, while water tanks are also not regularly cleaned.
The Secretary recalled that lead levels in the water supplied to the city’s public housing building complexes meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards. He also said that water in public housing units has been tested since 2007. Tests will also be conducted in public housing units built before 2007.