All-out effort for water main burst repair at Lai Chi Kok Road

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today (September 29) received reports of a water main burst at Lai Chi Kok Road (Kowloon bound) near Cheung Sha Wan Police Station, causing a road subsidence covering an area of about four metres by four metres and is about two metres in depth. It was learnt that a taxi with a passenger stopped in time, and that the taxi driver and the passenger left the taxi before the road subsidence occurred.

     The WSD project team, with the Police's assistance and the consent of the taxi owner involved, removed the taxi concerned from the scene, and the WSD would render appropriate assistance to the taxi owner on the claims. During the incident, the taxi driver felt sick and was sent to the hospital for medical check-up. The WSD's management visited the driver at the hospital and expressed condolence to him. The driver was found in a satisfactory condition.

     The WSD, after dewatering of ponding water at the scene, conducted a further examination and noticed that a burst occurred at a fresh water pipe of 300 millimetres in diameter, which was connected to a water main of 750 millimetres in diameter. The fresh water pipe was a cast iron pipe laid in the 1960s and is providing fresh water to the vicinity of Cheung Sha Wan. As the WSD immediately stopped the water supply of the pipe concerned and completed a diversion of water supply, the water supply to users near the area was not affected.

     Affected by the incident, all lanes of Lai Chi Kok Road (Mong Kok bound) near Butterfly Valley Road are temporary closed and traffic diversions are implemented to facilitate urgent repair works. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to the public and drivers arising from the incident.

     The project team is carrying out urgent repair and road reinstatement works. The traffic of Lai Chi Kok Road (Mong Kok bound) fast lane had resumed at around 6pm this afternoon. The traffic of all lanes of Lai Chi Kok Road (Mong Kok bound) is targeted to be resumed before 6am tomorrow (September 30). Also, the WSD had completed ground penetration radar detection in the vicinity near Lai Chi Kok Road (Mong Kok bound). Preliminary detection did not find any irregularities in underground structures nearby. For prudence sake, ground penetration radar detections at Lai Chi Kok Road (Tsuen Wan bound) fast lane have been arranged today and tomorrow.

     The WSD is carrying out detailed investigation regarding this incident and will submit a report to the Development Bureau in two weeks.

     The WSD is implementing multi-pronged measures, including adopting a "risk-based asset management programme for water mains", establishing approximately 2 400 Water Intelligent Network district metering areas and "main burst hot spots" mechanism, etc, with a view to strengthening the monitoring as well as replacing or rehabilitating specific sections of water mains to reduce the risks of water main bursts or leaks. The number of annual main burst cases has been greatly reduced from round 2 500 in 2000 to 34 cases in 2023. As of August this year, the WSD recorded a total of 20 main burst incidents.