Residents struggle on without fresh water after pipe repairs further delayed
Hong Kong authorities push back target time, as residents in Eastern district brave rain to fetch water from wagons
Residents and restaurant operators in Hong Kong’s Eastern district were forced to repeatedly fetch water from wagons amid heavy rain after authorities failed to restore the fresh water supply in two neighbourhoods at 6am on Monday as promised, more than a day after the disruption began.
It advised those whose water appeared milky white to remove the tap strainer, run the water for a few minutes, and then reinstall it once the water was clear, allowing air bubbles to dissipate. The department said this was a “normal” process.
Authorities had earlier promised to restore the supply by 6am on Monday, 24 hours after the disruption began, which affected about 10,000 households in the neighbourhoods.
The department said its engineering team identified a leak at a pipe joint shortly after the water supply was briefly restored on Monday morning, prompting another suspension. The supply began to resume after 11am.
It added that adverse weather and the presence of other underground pipes beside the affected water main had made repairs more difficult and delayed the process.