The government acted quickly to improve water quality at two Fanling estates after residents complained about black particles in their tap water, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday.

Speaking before the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said he was highly concerned about the matter and issued instructions to various government departments.

He said the government deployed additional manpower over the weekend to speed up the work at Queen's Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court, and has received positive feedback from residents.

“We have visited a lot of households who have previously made complaints about the water quality… They have indicated that they no longer see any particles in the water and they find the water clean and they feel at ease to drink the water,” Lee said.

The CE said some residents may still find a few particles in the water, but the water quality will improve after the tap is kept running for a while.

“I think the experience that colleagues have learned from this incident is the response should be fast, we should understand the feelings of residents in water concerns to ensure that it’s not just safe, but when they drink the water, their mind is at ease,” he said.