Water Pipe Burst in Hong Kong Leaves 3,000 Homes Without Supply on Winter Solstice

Water Supply Disruption Affects Thousands in Northern Hong Kong

In a significant disruption, nearly 3,000 households and 34 tenants in shopping centers in northern Hong Kong experienced a sudden loss of fresh water during a key family festival. The Water Supplies Department has since issued apologies while working diligently to restore the supply.

Incident Details

The interruption of fresh water service affected On Shing Court, Tin Ping Shopping Centre, and the Tin Long, Tin Mei, and Tin Hee residences of Tin Ping Estate in Sheung Shui. According to the Water Supplies Department, the outage began on Sunday afternoon due to a leak detected in a 400mm-diameter water pipe located on San Wan Road.

Impact on Nearby Areas

Additionally, residents of Luen Wo Hui, a market town situated east of Fanling, and Tsui Lai Garden, a Home Ownership Scheme estate with 2,012 flats in Sheung Shui, will experience reduced water flow as resources were redirected to facilitate the ongoing repairs.

Department’s Response

In a social media update, the department affirmed, “Our engineering team is entirely focused on repairing the water pipe and will work to resume fresh water supply and reopen the affected cycling track as quickly as possible.”

They also noted that a portion of the cycling track on So Kwun Po Road needs to be temporarily closed to aid in the emergency repair efforts. Traffic on San Wan Road remains unaffected.

Residents at Tin Ping Estate in Sheung Shui collect water from water tanks provided by the Water Supplies Department.

Action and Commitment

The Water Supplies Department affirmed that staff were dispatched to the site promptly after they received reports of the leak and have been actively addressing the issue since then.

Conclusion

This unexpected disruption serves as a reminder of the importance of infrastructure maintenance, especially during significant community events. As the department continues its repairs, impacted residents hope to see a swift return to regular water service.

Nearly 3,000 households in northern Hong Kong lost fresh water supply during a major festival.
A leak in a 400mm water pipe triggered the disruption on Sunday afternoon.
The Water Supplies Department is actively working on repairs and has apologized for the inconvenience.
Affected residents are relying on water tanks provided by the department.