Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said on November 10 that it had issued about 8,100 nuisance notices concerning dripping air conditioners as of September 30, an increase of about 16 per cent over the same period last year and 54 per cent over 2024, and about four times the figure for the same period in 2023. According to the department, over 99 per cent of notified households addressed the problem as required.

The department said it has fully deployed its third-generation Air-conditioning Water Dripping Inspection System, which uses infrared night-vision technology and AI image recognition, across all districts. The earlier second-generation system, with a detection range extended to 120 metres and coverage of buildings around 40 storeys high, won a bronze award at the Edison Awards 2026 in April, it added. Under a strategy of proactive door-to-door inspections, officers focus on around 300 locations of concern, each checked at least once a week; by August, problems at about half had been resolved or significantly improved, and the number of locations being followed up rose to more than 400.

More than 300 private housing estates take part in a scheme in which property management staff help identify dripping sources, handling an average of over 4,000 complaints a year, the department said. It urged property managers and residents to maintain air conditioners and drainage systems regularly.