Shanghai is preparing to launch an ambitious plan to improve tap
water quality by upgrading pipelines and equipment and shifting the
management of all residential water systems to city utility
firms.
After trial operations are wrapped up in select communities, the
4.5 billion yuan (US$562.5 million) citywide campaign will begin
next year and is scheduled to be completed by 2010.
Officials intend to upgrade water supply facilities as needed
within the city's 8,000 residential areas, including pipelines,
pumps, roof-top tanks and meters.
Control of the community systems will be shifted to city
waterworks firms from property management companies one by one
after the upgrades are completed in each community, according to
the Shanghai Water Authority.
"The transfer of responsibility gives us a lot of work," said
the authority's director, Zhang Jiayi. "It's a crucial step toward
improving tap water quality and boosting the city's image as an
international metropolis."
The city claims its water is drinkable when it leaves the
processing plants but becomes contaminated inside residential
complexes, especially the older ones, due to the poor maintenance
of pipes, pumps and tanks.
In addition, the materials used in the water supply facilities
in most residential buildings built before 2000 are of poor
quality. The city calculates that 15,000 kilometers of pipes,
120,000 roof-top tanks and 8,700 underground tanks fall into that
category.
At present, property management companies are in charge of all
water facilities within their complexes, while water companies are
responsible only for the pipeline networks.
The trial takeovers in several communities have worked well so
far, city officials said.
But several details need to be worked out, such as the source of
the investment and whether the municipal water companies will
employ property management staff for maintenance.
(Shanghai Daily August 4, 2006)