Burst water main in Shau Kei Wan leaves 10,000 homes without supply
A burst water main on Shau Kei Wan Road disrupted supply to about 10,000 households in Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho. The Water Supplies Department said repairs should be completed by midnight.
A burst water main on Shau Kei Wan Road has left about 10,000 households in Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho without water or with low water pressure since the morning of 27 October. The Water Supplies Department (WSD) said it was racing to complete repairs and restore supply by midnight.
The incident occurred around 10am after a 450-millimetre cast-iron water pipe was damaged, likely by external forces during road maintenance works, according to a preliminary WSD investigation. The department ruled out pipe age as a cause.
By early evening, the damaged pipe had been removed and a batch of new pipes had arrived at the scene. More than a dozen workers in reflective vests were seen digging out mud from the ground.
WSD deployed over 10 water trucks and 100 water tanks to provide temporary supply. A special “water supply task force” was dispatched, working with the Highways Department to assist residents at water collection points. The department also proactively delivered water bags and bottled water to needy households and elderly homes. It said it would closely monitor the temporary supply situation and ensure enough collection points were available until normal supply resumed.
Water trucks were stationed at locations including Tung Wai Mansion, 324 Shau Kei Wan Road, and Block C of Ming Wah Dai Ha. Long queues formed at collection points, with residents waiting about 20 to 30 minutes. Some brought handcarts to carry water home.
