Water supplies to hundreds of households in northern Shanghai were back to normal yesterday after a salt tide that had affected the fresh water supply began to ebb.

The tide, the result of a reduced water flow at the mouth of the Yangtze River that allowed sea water in, caused reduced supplies to water plants dependent on the Yangtze water, suppliers said yesterday.

The shortage of fresh water resulted in insufficient pressure in the water distribution networks from Monday, reducing supplies to several residential areas in Hongkou and Baoshan districts.

"Mostly it happened to apartments above the third floor in these buildings, where it was difficult for the pumps to send water to the water tanks on the roof," said Li Chunhui, a spokesman for Shanghai Shibei Waterworks Co.

Usually apartments at and below third floors have water directly pumped to their homes.

Operators at the company's service hotline said they had received a number of complaints over the past four days, but supplies had returned to normal from yesterday at most of the homes that were affected.

Officials with the Shanghai Water Authority said yesterday that the situation was under control despite the salt tide and the cold weather which caused some burst pipes.

"There are no major water supply cut-offs despite all the challenges," said the authority.

(Shanghai Daily February 1, 2008)