About 100,000 residents in Chongqing Municipality have not had access to tap water since yesterday afternoon after a water main burst.

Water supplies to the residents in the Daping and Shiqiaopu areas are expected to resume this morning, according to the Chongqing Times today.

More than 500 tons of tap water was lost when the main burst at 2pm at a construction site near Heyunxiao bus sop. The diameter of the affected pipe was 400-milimeter.

There have been three main supply bursts in the past ten days. This burst might have been caused by the sinking of mud around the pipe as a Metro tunnel is being constructed five meters below the main, an official surnamed Song from the tap water company said.

The pipe was opened in the1980s, Song said but tunnel constructors said the pipe had been there since 1965 and the burst might have happened just because of its age.

(Shanghai Daily March 3, 2009)