Quick Fixes for Home Water Leakage

Home water leakage is a common headache for many households, not only affecting daily life but also potentially leading to neighborhood disputes and even legal conflicts. Faced with seepage incidents, many often don't know where to start, worrying about high costs or unsolvable issues. In fact, with the right approach, it's possible to solve the leakage problem quickly and at the lowest cost. Renovation Man has compiled effective steps to handle the issue, along with practical advice from legal and construction professionals, providing you with clear step-by-step guidance to tackle the problem with ease.

First Step: Keep Calm and Observe, Take Notes on Leakage Clues

When you find a leak in your home, don’t panic right away. Take a moment to observe carefully. Does the leak only happen when it rains? Is it a constant drip or does it occur occasionally? Does the situation change from morning to evening? Is the amount of water large or small? These details can provide important clues to the cause of the leak. For example, a large amount of water might indicate a broken pipe, while slight dampness could be due to moisture on the exterior wall.

You can also try simple DIY methods, such as pouring colored water (fluorescent colored water is more noticeable) into your home's drainage pipes, then check if the same color appears in the water marks downstairs. Of course, both parties should agree to the test beforehand. This is a simple and straightforward preliminary test method. Remember to record all observations and test results, as this information is very helpful for solving the problem later.

Step Two: Find Property Management, Build a Communication Bridge

In Hong Kong, the living environment of multi-story buildings often means that neighbors living above and below are not very familiar with each other. Directly knocking on the door to communicate might lead to misunderstandings. Therefore, when encountering water leakage problems, the first thing to do is to contact the property management company (PMC), which is a wise choice. The PMC can act as a middleman, helping both parties to communicate and reducing unnecessary conflicts.

Some PMCs have technical staff who can conduct preliminary inspections to determine if there are obvious signs of water seepage, and even use simple tools for basic testing. If the problem can be resolved with the assistance of the PMC, that is the best outcome; if it cannot be resolved, you can proceed to the next step to seek more help.

Step Three: Contact the Water Seepage Office, Utilize Public Resources

When property management fails to resolve the leakage issue, many will think of the government's Water Seepage Office (1823), composed of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Buildings Department, primarily dealing with leakage issues related to environmental hygiene, such as pollution caused by leaking sewage pipes. They will conduct investigations and follow-ups. However, if it's rainwater seepage or a potable water pipe issue and does not affect environmental hygiene, it may not fall within their main responsibilities. Nevertheless, they have a referral mechanism, for instance, referring potable water pipe leakage issues to the water services department.

It's important to note that the Water Seepage Office's inspections have certain limitations. Therefore, when contacting the Water Seepage Office, it's advisable to be mentally prepared that if the problem remains unresolved, seeking other professional assistance may be necessary.

Step Four: Introducing Professionals, Technical Investigation and Legal Preparation

If the previous methods fail to resolve the issue, seeking professional help becomes crucial. In the field of construction, building surveyors are the best choice as they are regarded as the highest level of experts legally, and their reports have the legal effect of preferential recognition. In contrast, reports from government departments such as the Water Seepage Office, the Buildings Department, or the Water Supplies Department, while they can serve as references, cannot be used as expert evidence in court because their personnel are not professionals registered with the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors. Therefore, choosing a building surveyor with professional qualifications ensures that the inspection results are reliable and legally valid.

Expert teams can use more advanced technologies to find the source of water leaks, such as hygrometers, infrared detection, or even microwave technology. These methods can more accurately locate the problem, providing a reliable basis for solving the leakage. To ensure the fairness and transparency of the inspection process, professional teams usually collaborate with building surveyors, law firm personnel, and third-party engineering personnel. Building surveyors will be present throughout the process to witness and record, never leaving midway or merely providing signatures. This practice differs from the common "shortcut" methods of some notary firms, whose reports often lack legal validity and may even be questioned in court, putting property owners at a disadvantage in counterclaims and making them liable for both parties' legal fees and losses.

Furthermore, from a legal perspective, if the issue may escalate into a legal dispute, it is equally important to seek assistance from legal professionals at an early stage. They can participate in a monitoring capacity, documenting the incident through formal written notices to ensure that both parties follow fair and reasonable procedures during the detection and resolution process. This "quasi-legal process" approach not only quickly identifies the source of the leakage but also minimizes losses for both parties after the issue is resolved, avoiding lengthy court proceedings.

Step Five: Legal Action is the Last Resort, Reasonably Seeking Compensation

If the water leakage issue cannot be resolved through negotiation, it may be necessary to resort to legal action. Courts usually refer to the opinions of lawyers and building surveyors to make judgments. The surveyor's report can help the court understand the cause of the leakage and the attribution of responsibility, while the lawyer will assist in preparing the case, ensuring all evidence meets the requirements.

Many people worry about the high cost of legal procedures, but in fact, if you are the party affected by the leakage, related costs (such as lawyer fees, expert report fees, etc.) can be claimed from the responsible party. The court will assess reasonable costs and may even award general damages based on the impact of the incident on you (such as the mental stress caused by years of distress). Therefore, although legal action sounds daunting, with the support of a professional team, property owners do not need to overly worry about the cost issue.

【Method and Steps, Most Important to Find the Right Person】

Although home water leakage is a headache, as long as it is handled step by step in an orderly manner, it can be solved in the fastest and most cost-effective way. Starting from your own observation and recording, to contacting the property management, seeking the assistance of the Water Seepage Office, and then hiring professionals for technical investigation and legal preparation, each step is crucial. At the same time, choosing a professional and reliable team and aiming for a harmonious solution can effectively prevent the problem from escalating.

Finally, I remind everyone that whether you are the affected party or the party accused of leakage, when describing the incident, remember to organize past communication records, investigation methods and observation results. This information can help professionals understand the situation more quickly.

Information provided by:Lo & Lawyers 勞氏律師行

Learn more about different types of houses for freerenovation quotes:

Public Housing｜https://decoman-publichousing.com/

Private Housing｜https://decoman-privatehousing.com/

New Properties｜https://decoman-newproperties.com/

Tenement Buildings｜https://decoman-tenement.com/

===============================================

The content and images of this article are provided by the columnist Renovation Man.