Beijing will spend 10 million yuan (US$1.23 million) this year to construct a network monitoring its underground water supply pipelines.

An official from the Tap Water Group of Beijing City said they would purchase two radars which would be used to monitor water pipelines at major construction sites such as subways.

In the meantime, devices, capable of sending data every 15 seconds, will also be installed at more than 1,000 wells or sluices to monitor leaks, according to the official.

"With the above-mentioned equipments in place, we will be able to act earlier and prevent emergencies such as pipeline fractures," said the official.

Underground water pipelines in the national capital total 6,400km. Workers with the Tap Water Group inspect the underground water pipelines once every five days.

The official added that they would hire 15 more workers to patrol facilities such as hydrants and sluice gates along routes of subway construction this year.

A leaking sew at the southeastern corner of the Jingguang Bridge on the city's Third Ring Road led to a road collapse in on January 3. The cave-in caused sewage to flood one of the construction site of Beijing subway No. 10 line and brought traffic to a standstill in the affected area. Traffic fully resumed in the area two weeks later.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2006)