Lead water scare spills into luxury sector as upmarket development The Caldecott found with samples almost twice safe limit
Upmarket private development in Cheung Sha Wan found to have water with lead almost twice safe limit, sparking emergency tests on all flats
The lead contamination scare plaguing public housing estates has spilled over to an upmarket private residential development in Cheung Sha Wan where water with a lead level almost twice the safe limit was detected in a kitchen serving the banquet hall.
The result, from tests conducted about three weeks ago by the owners' corporation of The Caldecott, triggered emergency water tests for all the 44 flats in the K Wah Group project.
In a notice dated July 30 to all occupants, the management firm, Guardian Property Management, a company under the Savills Guardian group, said a July 17 water sample from a tap in the kitchen of the banqueting hall was found to contain 19 micrograms of lead in a litre.
The World Health Organisation's drinking water guideline is no more than 10mcg.
The notice said the owners' corporation planned to conduct water tests on all homes in the development. Results were expected in five working days.
READ MORE: Six things to know about water filters as more Hong Kong housing estates found to have high levels of lead
A Guardian spokesman confirmed the result but dismissed suggestions of panic among residents. "Some minor irregularity was spotted in a recent water test. The issue is being followed up," the spokesman said.
The Caldecott is an upmarket residential development on Caldecott Road. There are two towers, with a total of 44 units. Among luxury facilities inside are a gym and pool.
An upper level unit with a saleable area of 1,669 square feet sold in April for HK$27.5 million, or HK$16,477 per square foot.
Political groups have been testing water samples from private and public estates since Democratic Party lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan drew attention to the problem at Kai Ching Estate last month.
A test by pressure group Hong Kong Awakening Association last month found a sample from The Austin, a plush private development in Tsim Sha Tsui, contained lead of 41mcg per litre.
Traces of toxic cadmium were found in water from private estates Kingswood Villas in Tin Shui Wai and Mayfair Gardens in Tsing Yi, but within safety levels.
As of August 3, the government had found excessive lead in water samples taken from seven public housing estates.
The scare has also spread to Grandway Garden in Tai Wai, a development under the private sector participation scheme of the Home Ownership Scheme, after the owners' corporation found a maintenance contract it signed in 2013 specified soldering materials containing lead would be used on its water pipes.
However, the consultancy that oversaw the maintenance project, W & K Architect, said it was only a typing error and it had actually meant to write "lead-free materials". Tests found levels below the WHO limit.
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