HÀ NỘI — The Đà River water pipeline broke yesterday afternoon, disrupting water supply to thousands of households in Hà Nội for 10 hours.

Workers from the Vinaconex water supply joint stock company (Viwasupco) were immediately sent to the site to repair the pipeline and the water supply was resumed this morning.

The pipeline breach affected about 70,000 households in Thanh Xuân, Hoàng Mai, Hà Đông and Cầu Giấy districts.

The second phase of the project commenced in October 2015, which will serve a chain of urban areas, such as Sơn Tây, Hòa Lạc, Miếu Môn and Hà Đông, and serve as an additional water source to Hà Nội.

The project, in which Viwasupco has invested VND4.9 trillion ($219 million), aims to meet the local residents’ need for clean water following several breaks of the old pipeline.

Once the second phase of the project is completed, the capacity of the pipeline will rise from 300,000cu.m to 600,000cu.m per day.

Over the past six years, the pipeline transporting clean water from Đà River to Hà Nội broke or leaked 18 times.

Seven officials, including two from Đà River Pipeline project management board, were prosecuted for irregularity in installing the pipeline in July 2015.

The seven officials were charged with “committing violations that resulted in serious consequences". More specifically, they were charged with causing the Đà River water pipeline to break 10 times, costing the state more than VNĐ9.3 billion (US$418,000). — VNS