LegCo member calls for expedited inspections and repairs on water pipes

A water pipe explosion and road collapse occurred on Lai Chi Kok Road, Cheung Sha Wan, early yesterday morning (Sept. 29).

A taxi fell into a large hole while driving over a flooded road. The affected road section has now been reopened.

Legislative Council member Yang Wing-kit stated today (Sept. 30) on a radio program that this year's incidents of water pipe explosions leading to road collapses are "more frequent than in the past." He believes the government needs to inspect further to see whether those water pipes require a comprehensive repair.

Yang indicated that the risk management plan for water pipe improvements has repaired about 3,000 kilometers of water pipes from 2000 to 2015.

"At least 5,000 kilometers of pipes were assessed at that time to be in acceptable condition, but with the aging of the pipes, the authorities should reassess whether a new wave of pipe improvement or replacement plans should be initiated."

Yang described the authorities' current approach to the water pipe improvement plan as "treating the symptom but ignoring the cause."

"When a pipe bursts, they check the surrounding pipes to see if they need replacement... I believe that is not proactive enough," he noted.

He suggested that the authorities could refer to other countries or regions that use robots to inspect the condition of water pipes, allowing for more proactive and precise decisions on which pipes need to be replaced.

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