Environmental, Health and Safety Report 2003 / 04

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Performance Review
Water [Photo: We plan to achieve certification to all rental blocks to ensure quality potable fresh water to our tenants.]

Safeguarding Potable Water Quality

Fresh Water Plumbing Quality Maintenance Recognition Scheme

Reducing Water Wastage

Safeguarding Potable Water Quality

Over the past few years, we have made good progress in re-plumbing our housing blocks to prevent discolouration of tap water.

In 2003 / 04, we continued to implement our Replumbing Programme to replace poor condition galvanized steel potable water supply pipes with copper and ductile iron pipes. We undertook plumbing condition surveys and water tests to assess the condition of existing pipe-work before decisions on re-plumbing were made. During the year, we completed re-plumbing works in 47 rental blocks.

Fresh Water Plumbing Quality Maintenance Recognition Scheme

[Photo: Certificate of the Fresh Water Plumbing Quality Maintenance Recognition Scheme.]
Launched by the Water Supplies Department two years ago, the scheme encouraged building owners to maintain their plumbing system to ensure good quality water supply for users. We joined the scheme in early 2004 with an aim of gaining certification for our 1 000 rental blocks. The scheme accreditation signifies that we have, as we always did, maintained our plumbing system in a proper manner and have consistently kept the level of maintenance to a high standard. Joining the scheme will provide a third-party guarantee and certification of our maintenance quality.

The scheme requires building owners to regularly clean the water tanks and inspect the plumbing system at least once every three months as well as test water samples at least once a year. We have all along been continuously carrying out regular checking and maintenance of the plumbing system of rental blocks to ensure good quality water supply for our clients.

In 2003 / 04, 99 housing blocks of our estates were certified under the scheme. We plan to achieve certification of all rental blocks by 2006.

Reducing Water Wastage

[Photo: Water recycling facilities.]
Water is essential for life and so we always have a primary goal to protect and conserve water resources. In the past year, we continued our effort to reduce water wastage in our housing blocks and construction sites. We have installed self-stopping water taps for reducing potable water consumption in commercial centres and markets in our public housing estates. Some of our major achievements are highlighted below:

	All of our construction sites involving large diameter bored piling works now adopt water recycling facilities to minimize wastewater.
	We launched a trial scheme at our Ho Man Tin Headquarters on saving toilet flushing water. The installation of dual-flush fittings in female toilets was completed in February 2004, and performance monitoring is in progress. Water savings studies on the use of dual flush toilets and water saving taps will continue in 2004 / 05.
	To further conserve potable water, we continue to research water saving devices for use in our commercial centres and public housing estate markets. We aim to complete our research in the first quarter of 2005.

In 2003 / 04, although we made improvements in advancing water conservation, we were not able to achieve our target of a 0.5% reduction in potable water consumption for our estate management work. Instead, we recorded a 27% increase due to the necessary demand for cleaning to deal with the twin threats of SARS and Avian Influenza. However, we are looking forward to a reduction in water consumption in 2004 / 05.

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