Water leakage case
Leakage Project at Fu Tong House, Fu To Lai New Village, 58 Iron Tree Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon
Case Study: A Hidden Broken Pipe Behind the Wall Unravels a Three-Year Leakage Dispute
"I just renovated my bathroom last year. Why does the neighbour downstairs keep blaming me?"
This is a real case we handled at Fu Tor Loy Sun Chuen, 58 Tit Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon.
The owner of Flat B, 8th Floor received a complaint from the owner of Flat B, 7th Floor in early 2025: water was dripping from the bathroom ceiling, mould was spreading on the walls, and the problem had even extended to the living and dining area. Yet the owner of Flat B, 8th Floor had already completed a full bathroom renovation between April and June 2025 — new waterproofing, new tiles, everything. He was baffled. And frustrated.
"I spent good money fixing my own place. Why should I be held responsible?"
We understand that feeling completely.
An Accusation That Seemed "Well-Evidenced"！
The leakage problem in Flat B, 7th Floor began as early as 2021 and worsened to severe dripping by October 2022. The owner of the lower flat lodged a complaint with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and engaged another inspection company to investigate.
That company's report concluded that the source of the leakage was defective waterproofing in the bathroom floor and surrounding walls of Flat B, 8th Floor, causing moisture to accumulate in the floor screed of the upper unit and seep down into the lower flat.
On paper, the evidence seemed solid. The owner of Flat B, 8th Floor was facing not just repair costs, but potentially a lengthy legal dispute and a broken relationship with his neighbour.
Our Involvement: Re-examining Every Piece of "Evidence"
The owner of Flat B, 8th Floor refused to accept the blame. He engaged Silver Surveyors to conduct an independent investigation. Our team, led by a court-recognised expert, approached the case with objectivity and scientific rigour, scrutinising every detail.
During our site inspection, we uncovered three critical anomalies:
1. A Neglected Broken Drainage Pipe
Embedded within the wall between the bathroom of Flat B, 8th Floor and the adjacent Flat C, 8th Floor, we discovered a shared wastewater pipe serving Flats B and C on the 9th Floor. The pipe was fractured, with heavy rust accumulation around the break — a clear high-risk point for leakage. Neither the FEHD nor the previous inspection company had conducted any dye test on this pipe.
2. A Defect in the External Wall
The external wall outside the bathroom of Flat B, 8th Floor showed signs of incomplete sealing following previous renovation works. A visible hole and extensive rust staining were present. During typhoons or heavy rainstorms, rainwater could penetrate through this opening into the wall cavity and migrate downwards to Flat B, 7th Floor.
3. Limitations of the Testing Methods Used
The previous investigation relied heavily on microwave moisture detection and fluorescent dye testing. However, according to the Professional Guide to Water Seepage Investigation, Diagnosis, Testing & Reporting in Residential Buildingspublished by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS), microwave moisture meters are not suitable for moisture content assessment in reinforced concrete ceilings, as embedded steel reinforcement can severely interfere with readings and produce false high values.
Furthermore, the "fluorescent" marks observed on the ceiling of Flat B, 7th Floor were present beforeany dye testing was conducted. These could have been caused by mould, microbial metabolites, or optical brightening agents commonly found in paint and plaster materials — not necessarily by the tracer dye.
The Truth Revealed: The Upper Flat Was Not at Fault
After synthesising all the evidence, we reached a clear conclusion: The leakage in Flat B, 7th Floor was most likely caused by the fractured shared drainage pipe from the 9th Floor units, or by rainwater ingress through the defective external wall — not by any failure of the waterproofing in Flat B, 8th Floor.
The previous investigation report was flawed. Its findings did not support the conclusion that the leakage originated from the bathroom floor of Flat B, 8th Floor.
"So I really wasn't wrong after all."
When we presented our findings to the owner of Flat B, 8th Floor, the relief in his voice was palpable. The injustice he had carried for months was finally lifted — by science and by evidence.
Expert Qualifications Endorsement
This report was signed and confirmed by Mr. Leung Ka Chun, Managing Director of Yin Jin Consultants & Gongzheng Limited. As a Chartered Institutional Surveyor (MRICS), Chartered Builder (MCIOB), and Chartered Building Engineer (MCABE), Mr. Leung possesses extensive experience in building diagnostics and surveying, ensuring the professional authority of the investigation.
What This Case Teaches Us？
In leakage disputes, the greatest danger is often not the water itself, but incomplete evidence and premature conclusions. A report that looks professional on the surface can still be misleading if a single key detail is overlooked — causing an innocent party to bear responsibility they do not deserve.
At Silver Surveyors, we let science speak and integrity guide us. We take no sides and hold no preconceptions. Through meticulous site inspections, cross-validated testing methodologies, and a deep understanding of the limitations of each diagnostic tool, we uncover the truth.
If you are facing a similar situation — being wrongly accused, misunderstood, or trapped by an inaccurate report — please reach out to us. Let our expertise and independence restore your peace of mind and your good name.
Is your property suffering from leaks and you're struggling to find the source?
Contact Silver Surveyors. Let scientific evidence solve the mystery for you.
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（Inspectors found that the drain pipe shared by rooms 9B and 9C broke off inside the wall of room 8C in the bathroom of room 8B, and the area around the break was covered with rust.）
（The exterior wall opposite the bathroom in Unit 8B has undergone renovation work, but the wall was not properly sealed. There is a large area of noticeable rust and a hole in this area. (Provided by the client)）
（Microwave leakage detection results with a probe depth of 110mm showed that the ceiling of the bathroom in room 7B, which faces the wall of room 7C, had the highest and most concentrated moisture content (provided by investigation report No. 2601225/L).）
（According to the inspectors, the exterior wall opposite the bathroom in Room 8B had undergone renovation work but was not properly sealed. There was a large area of obvious rust and a hole in that area.）
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