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Following is a question by the Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (May 3):
Question:
It has been reported that copper fresh water pipes laid in the public area and sheathed with plastic can still be found in certain public housing blocks completed in or before 1996. Such plastic sheathing emits toxic gases when burned, and hence is not in compliance with the current fire safety requirements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the current number of public housing estates with such fresh water pipes, their names as well as the numbers of blocks and households involved in each of the estates;
(b) whether it will consider immediately removing the plastic sheathing of the existing water pipes to abate the potential fire safety hazards;
(c) whether the Housing Department will expeditiously replace all such fresh water pipes; if so, of the works schedule; if not, the reasons for that; and
(d) whether the authorities will consider bringing the buildings of the Housing Authority under the ambit of the Buildings Ordinance, so as to allow the Buildings Department to monitor the building materials used by the former?
Reply
Madam President,
Copper pipes sheathed with plastic are widely used locally. With effective insulation performance and good outward appearance, sheathed pipes are commonly used in exposed locations in both public and private buildings. Material testing has confirmed that the sheathed copper pipes used in public housing estates is non-inflammable, low-smoke and non-toxic. No harmful substances (such as dioxin) will be emitted during combustion. To minimize possible fire risks, the Fire Services Department advises against the use of sheathed pipes at fire-protected areas in public housing buildings. According to the Housing Department¡¯s records and recent inspection checks, the bulk of sheathed pipes used in public housing estates are located at non-fire-protected areas and hence they will not pose any particular fire risks. Nonetheless, in the past, when repairing or replacing the water pipes in individual estates, sheathed pipes were also used at fire-protected locations.
My reply to the four-part question is as follows:
(a) Sheathed pipes are used in 78 public housing estates. Amongst them, 17 blocks in seven estates have such pipes located in fire-protected areas. Details are set out in the Annex.
(b) The plastic sheathing of the copper pipes used in public housing estates is a safe material and will not pose any safety problem. Nonetheless, to address residents¡¯ concerns, the Housing Department will remove the plastic sheathing of the pipes at fire-protected locations. The works will take a few months to complete.
(c) As mentioned above, the sheathed pipes used in public housing estates are mostly located in non-fire-protected areas and will not pose any safety problem. As for pipes in fire-protected areas, with removal of the plastic sheathing, there will be no further fire safety concern. The copper pipes can continue to be used and there is no need to replace them.
(d) As regards bringing Housing Authority buildings under the ambit of the Buildings Ordinance (Cap 123) so as to allow the Buildings Department to monitor the Housing Authority¡¯s use of building materials, the Government will consider this proposal as part of its study on the options for application of the Buildings Ordinance to public housing. Moreover, the Independent Checking Unit has been established in the Housing Department since November 2000 to conduct third-party building control over public housing projects. The approval, consent and supervision mechanism being applied to new public housing projects, including the building materials used, are consistent with Buildings Department¡¯s practices to ensure compliance with the technical and safety standards of the Buildings Ordinance.
Annex
Public Housing Blocks with Plastic-sheathed Copper
Pipes in Fire-protected Areas:
Names of Public Housing Estates Names of Buildings
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1. Kwong Tin Estate Kwong Ngar House
Kwong Hin House
2. Wang Tau Hom Estate Wang Cho House
Wang Wai House
Wang Yiu House
Wang Lai House
3. Choi Fai Estate Choi Wah House
Choi Yip House
4. Tin Yiu (1) Estate Yiu Shing House
5. Tin Yiu (2) Estate Yiu Cheong House
Yiu Fung House
Yiu Chak House
Yiu Lung House
Yiu Tai House
Yiu Wah House
6. Siu Sai Wan Estate Sui Tai House
7. Kwai Fong Estate Kwai Kin House
Ends/Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:08
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