Han Ximin

THE water supply to the Aiguo Road area in Luohu District returned to normal yesterday morning after nearly 100 employees of the Shenzhen Water Group worked around the clock to repair a broken pipe.

The one-meter-thick pipe near Shuiku New Village broke suddenly Saturday morning and nearly 7,000 residents in four housing estates nearby had no access to water. The water supply to other parts of Luohu District and the Shangbu Road area in Futian were also affected because of the low water pressure caused by the bursting of the pipe.

Shenzhen Water Group initiated an emergency plan, sending two water trucks and six fire engines to provide water to residents after the inciident, and at the same time deployed 100 workers to repair the pipe.

According to the group, the rupture was caused heavy pressure from the road surface.

The water pipes in the area were put into use in 1983, when the road above was used for greenbelts and bicycle lanes. It later began being used by vehicles due to urban expansion, which increased pressure on the pipe. At the same time, the road renovation project, which is going on in the area, caused the ground to sink, and the weight of a road-roller caused the pipe to burst.