Water supplies to hundreds of households in northern Shanghai
were back to normal yesterday after a salt tide that had affected
the fresh water supply began to ebb.
The tide, the result of a reduced water flow at the mouth of the
Yangtze River that allowed sea water in, caused reduced supplies to
water plants dependent on the Yangtze water, suppliers said
yesterday.
The shortage of fresh water resulted in insufficient pressure in
the water distribution networks from Monday, reducing supplies to
several residential areas in Hongkou and Baoshan districts.
"Mostly it happened to apartments above the third floor in these
buildings, where it was difficult for the pumps to send water to
the water tanks on the roof," said Li Chunhui, a spokesman for
Shanghai Shibei Waterworks Co.
Usually apartments at and below third floors have water directly
pumped to their homes.
Operators at the company's service hotline said they had
received a number of complaints over the past four days, but
supplies had returned to normal from yesterday at most of the homes
that were affected.
Officials with the Shanghai Water Authority said yesterday that
the situation was under control despite the salt tide and the cold
weather which caused some burst pipes.
"There are no major water supply cut-offs despite all the
challenges," said the authority.
(Shanghai Daily February 1, 2008)