Around 10,000 homes in Hong Kong’s Eastern district face a 24-hour fresh water supply disruption following a sudden pipe burst, with authorities expecting service to resume on Monday morning.
The Water Supplies Department received reports of the disruption in Shau Kei Wan at around 6am on Sunday and immediately deployed staff to investigate.
According to a suspension notice issued by the department in the evening, water supply is estimated to resume at 6am on Monday.
The affected areas covered 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.
Speaking to the press at 4pm, chief engineer Lin Tang-tai said the leak occurred in an 18-inch-diameter pipe at a busy tram intersection. Technicians identified the exact location using pipeline robots and advanced leak detection technologies.
“The leaked water did not flood the road surface, so we believe it may have flowed directly into the sea through underground stormwater drains, increasing the technical difficulty [of the repairs],” he said.
Lin said the department was coordinating with transport authorities and police to divert traffic amid the ongoing excavation work.