Shanghai kicked off an ambitious plan yesterday to upgrade outdated water pipes, tanks and pumps inside 8,100 old residential areas, in an effort to eliminate contamination by poorly maintained equipment.

The 4.65 billion yuan (US$596 million) project will take three years to finish, according to the Shanghai Water Authority.

"We have tried it out in some residential complexes and the results and feedbacks turned out to be quite positive," said authority director Zhang Jiayi.

"It's a crucial step towards improving the water quality from users' taps."

Water suppliers claim the water is drinkable when it leaves the processing plants but becomes contaminated inside residential complexes, especially older ones, due to the poor maintenance of pipes, pumps and tanks in the buildings.

The plan calls for upgrading and replacement of 15,000 kilometers of pipes, nearly 120,000 water tanks and 13,000 pumps in old residential complexes, most of which were built in the 1960s and 1970s.

Nearly three million water meters will also be moved outside the apartments in old buildings to make it easy for water company personnel to read them without having to disturb customers. The relocation will also help the water companies to prevent theft.

But the project could damage the decoration inside residences as some work needs to be done inside homes, officials from the Shanghai Housing and Land Resources Administration Bureau noted, calling for understanding and support from residents.

The bureau, which oversees the maintenance of these water supply facilities, will transfer the responsibility to the water companies gradually during the project.

The cost of the project will be shared by the government, water companies and residents who will be asked to pay a "minor part."

(Shanghai Daily May 23, 2007)