Tuen Mun pipe leaks spark call for faster replacement
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A fresh leak was reported on Castle Peak Road near Tuen Lee Street in Tuen Mun, involving a 600-millimetre-diameter fresh water steel main about 2 kilometres long that serves several housing estates and a secondary school . Michael Tien Puk-sun of Roundtable said the same pipe had suffered leaks or bursts at four different locations within the past 30 days, after a leak in July and another burst in August . He said the government had agreed to replace the entire pipe, but was planning for works lasting about one year because of the project’s complexity . Tien urged officials to compress the timetable to four months and finish the replacement by the end of this year .
Key Points
- Tien said the affected main is a 600mm fresh water steel pipe, about 2 kilometres long, near Tuen Lee Street on Castle Peak Road .
- The pipe mainly supplies fresh water to The Hillgrove, Hin Fat Estate, Hang Shun Garden, Crown Peak Villa and Tuen Mun Government Secondary School .
- According to Tien, the same pipeline developed faults at four separate locations within 30 days, with leakage in July and another burst in August .
- He said Hong Kong has about 6,700 kilometres of fresh water mains, of which roughly 5,400 kilometres already have real-time monitoring systems installed .
- The remaining 1,300 kilometres are due for monitoring installation by mid-2026, but about 200 kilometres are difficult sections that may take at least five years to handle .
Why It Matters
Repeated failures on a single supply line raise pressure on the authorities to move beyond monitoring and carry out full replacement where deterioration is already evident . For residents, schools and estates served by the Tuen Mun main, the dispute over whether works take four months or a year affects how long they may remain exposed to further leaks, bursts and water disruption risks .