Refer China: Mass Concern as Citizen Suspect Fecal Contamination in Tap Water

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Mass Concern as Residents Suspect Fecal Contamination in Tap Water

On the afternoon of July 16, residents from several neighborhoods in Liangzhu Subdistrict, Yuhang District of Hangzhou, reported an unusual odor in their tap water, according to local media.

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Property notifications and screenshots from residential service groups reveal that around 9 a.m., Renhe Water Plant detected an anomaly in the water's odor indicators, while all other routine parameters remained within normal limits. Preliminary investigations suggested a brief irregularity in the raw water sourced from the Tiaoxi River.

Later that evening, Hangzhou Yuhang Water Supply Holding Group issued an official notice stating that an abnormal smell had been detected in tap water in parts of Renhe and Liangzhu subdistricts. The company activated its emergency response plan, switched to an alternative water source, and initiated a pipe flushing operation. By 1:30 p.m., water leaving the plant had returned to normal quality, and the main pipeline network was reported normal by 4:30 p.m. However, residual stagnant water in the branch pipes required users to flush their taps until the odor cleared.

On July 17, the company issued a second statement. It confirmed that water flushing operations in all secondary pipelines and storage tanks were completed, and tests showed water quality in Renhe and Liangzhu had returned to normal. They advised residents to discharge stagnant water before use and offered a compensation of five tons of water bill relief per household for July.

Despite these assurances, residents like Mr. Zheng from Du Fu Xinyuan Community reported that his family unknowingly used the contaminated water to cook dinner on the night of July 16. His community still experienced water outages into the next morning. He criticized the company's lack of response on potential health impacts and damage to water filters.

By midnight on July 16, multiple communities were still reporting foul-smelling water.

Many residents likened the smell to fecal contamination, though no official confirmation on this claim has been issued.

Tests conducted by residents on July 17 showed that even though the odor was lessened, water remained visibly discolored after prolonged flow. When contacted, Yuhang Waterworks customer service reiterated that water from the plant and the main pipeline was clean, but stagnant water in household pipes needed to be flushed for about 30 minutes.

Lyucheng Property Services confirmed the issue affected several communities and advised residents to flush taps until water was clear, leaving drinking decisions to the users. For detailed updates, they recommended awaiting further communication from the water company.

Source: 第一财经