Water at Perth Children's Hospital safe

The latest testing at Perth Children's Hospital has found the water is safe, paving the way for the facility to finally open.

Perth Children's Hospital

Perth Children's Hospital will open in May after the drinking water was tested and deemed safe. (AAP)

The drinking water at the problem-plagued Perth Children's Hospital has now been deemed safe, paving the way for the facility to finally open almost three years late.

Remediation work to replace thermostatic mixing valve assembly boxes and brass parts, which were leeching lead, was completed earlier this month.

Tests conducted on 304 random water samples found lead levels are now below the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri on Tuesday said 97.7 per cent had lead levels below the target of 0.01mg/L, exceeding the pass mark of 95 per cent.

"Compared to the figure of 74 per cent in June 2017, this indicates a dramatic improvement and effective remediation of the risk," he told reporters.

Health Department director-general David Russell-Weisz said the issue had been "unprecedented and complex".

"We knew this was going to be a wicked problem," he said. "The primary outcome has always been to open the hospital safely."

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the public could now have every confidence in the $1.2 billion facility.

The hospital, which was originally scheduled to open in August 2015, has had major construction problems including asbestos in ceiling panels and non-compliant fire doors.

In a report tabled in parliament last week, the Public Accounts Committee criticised responsibility for the project being divided between Strategic Projects and the Health Department.

Adverse findings were also made against main contractor John Holland, including the company's poor relationship with sub-contractors.

Its refusal to agree to phosphate treatments to resolve the lead problem also led to the McGowan government granting practical completion in April to take control of the site.

There are still concerns about a possible legal battle with John Holland.

A community open day will be held at the hospital on April 8 with free tours ahead of the official opening in mid-May.


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Source: AAP



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