The government is planning to build a new public bathroom in Tuen Mun at a cost of $9.34 million. The facility will replace pit toilets in Fuk Hang Tsuen village, according to a report in the Oriental Daily.
It will be equipped with one cubicle and two urinals in the male section; two cubicles in the female section; and an accessible toilet. The project has been estimated to cost $9.34 million.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced plans to build a new bathroom as its original proposition to convert the existing one was objected by Fuk Hang Tsuen village representatives. Village representative Tsang Chin-hung said “The FEHD told us eight years ago that converting the existing one and building a new toilet would cost $1 million and $2 million respectively, so we would rather build a new one.”
However, Tuen Mun district councilor Chan Wan-sang said that he was “shocked” by the cost: “It is necessary to build a new toilet, but I have never thought it would be so expensive.”
The new bathroom is 200 metres away from the squat toilets.
The FEHD said that the new facility will serve some 1,000 villagers who live in the area, as some of them do not have toilets in their households. Building work is expected to begin in January 2016.
A public bathroom construction project in Siu Hang Tsuen in Tuen Mun, proposed in May 2014 with the same specifications, was estimated to cost $6.14 million. The Architectural Services Department a to build two new public bathrooms in Tuen Mun in June 2015 had been estimated to cost a total sum of $17.68 million.
