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Cannix Yau

Hong Kong authorities have vowed to introduce a smart management system and speed up the replacement of water mains to reduce the number of pipe bursts and leakages, after residents in Shau Kei Wan went without fresh water for more than a day.
The Water Supplies Department announced on Monday night plans to accelerate the replacement of water mains.
It said improvement works were already under way for about 50km (31 miles) of water mains, while new works covering about 40km were scheduled to start by the end of the year.
“The budgeted expenditure for replacing water mains in this financial year will increase by more than 50 per cent compared with last year,” the department said.
About 10,000 homes in Shau Kei Wan lost their fresh water supply for more than a day, starting from around 6am on Sunday. Hundreds of shops, restaurants and other businesses were also affected.
The affected areas spanned Tung Yuk Court, Yiu Tung Estate, Ming Wah Dai Ha, Perfect Mount Gardens, Ngoi Man Street, Factory Street, Kam Wa Street, Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan Road and Sai Wan Ho Street.
Wong King, president of the International Institute of Utility Specialists, supported the department’s enhanced measures to tackle water leakage problems and said wear and tear of the water mains was the potential cause of Sunday’s water disruption.
“Hong Kong still has 1,200km of old water mains waiting to be replaced. Replacing them will take about 10 to 12 years. The smart water pressure management system will reduce water bursts and water leaks at night,” he said.

Chief Engineer Lin Tang-tai of the department earlier said the leak occurred in an 18-inch (45.7cm) pipe at a busy tram intersection.
Director of Water Supplies Roger Wong Yan-lok added that the incident involved an ageing cast-iron pipe.
The department said technicians had identified the exact location of the leak using pipeline robots and advanced detection technology.
King explained that the leak in Shau Kei Wan did not surface as the affected pipe ran horizontally above a drainage pipe, allowing the leaked water to flow directly into the sea through the pipe below it.
The utility expert estimated that approximately 1 to 2 percent of the city’s fresh water pipes shared this specific configuration.
Wong also noted that the pipe involved was made of cast iron, which has a lifespan of about 50 years and requires replacement or repair after that period.
The department also planned to seek funding approval from the Legislative Council within the current financial year to set up a “Smart Water Supply Pressure Management System”.
The system will allow “smart dynamic pressure reduction” measures to be implemented on water mains without affecting the public, reducing the number of cases involving burst pipes and leaks.
“This system will dynamically adjust water pressure across the government’s water supply network by installing real-time online sensor devices in both fresh and saltwater networks,” the department said.
“Using high-precision hydraulic model analysis, artificial intelligence and big data, it will continuously monitor the operation of the entire water distribution network in real time.”
The department said that, subject to funding approval from Legco, it planned to start the relevant works in the first quarter of next year and aimed to complete the system in phases over five years, covering the area affected by the recent leak.
The department added that it was also expanding and upgrading its “Water Intelligent Network” by installing real-time sensors to enhance real-time data transmission capabilities.
It said the move would strengthen the management of water supply leaks, adding that the relevant works would be completed in phases between mid-2026 and mid-2027.


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Hong Kong society

Residents line up to fill water bottles and buckets in Shau Kei Wan. Photo: Sun Yeung

Workers carry out emergency repairs at the site of the burst water pipe in Shau Kei Wan. Photo: Sun Yeung

Residents brave heavy rain to collect water at a supply station in Shau Kei Wan after a burst underground pipe affects over 10,000 households in the area. Photo: Jelly Tse

Residents struggle on without fresh water after pipe repairs further delayed

About 10,000 households in Eastern district’s Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho neighbourhoods were affected by the disruption. Photo: Jelly Tse

Many restaurants in Shau Kei Wan were forced to temporarily close due to the disruption. Photo: Jelly Tse

Residents in Shau Kei Wan collect water from a wagon amid the rain on Monday. Photo: Sun Yeung

10,000 Hong Kong homes face 24-hour wait for water after pipe bursts in Shau Kei Wan

Residents in Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho stock up on water. Photo: Dickson Lee

At least a dozen water wagons and 100 water tanks were deployed across multiple locations in the affected areas to provide a temporary supply. Photo: Dickson Lee

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Hong Kong

Society

Pledge follows disruption of fresh water supply of Shau Kei Wan residents for more than a day


Pledge follows disruption of fresh water supply of Shau Kei Wan residents for more than a day.


Hong Kong water supply

Infrastructure

Hong Kong vows to launch smart system, speed water mains replacement

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pledge follows disruption of fresh water supply of Shau Kei Wan residents for more than a day

Pledge follows disruption of fresh water supply of Shau Kei Wan residents for more than a day