Leaded soldering material in wall-mounted dispensers was the major cause of the presence of lead in drinking water, the Government announced today.
The Water Supplies Department appointed the Productivity Council to carry out a study after excessive lead was found in drinking water samples from eight kindergartens.
The probe found that copper alloy components would leach comparatively more lead in hot water when they were used for the first time. But the amount of leaked lead would be reduced after a few boiling and draining away cycles, and would not cause excessive lead levels after boiling.
Two used and four new wall-mounted dispensers of different brands were used in the study, in which boiled water samples were taken at the tap every two hours for 24 hours.
Tests were also conducted on the dispensers' different components to find out the lead content, as well as on the amount of lead leached from the copper alloy components when they were submerged in hot water.
The Government suggested that consumers buy dispensers with international certification or those supplied with type test reports by accredited laboratories.
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