HÀ NỘI – Hà Nội has been entering the peak of summer, causing an increased demand for water. But at present, thousands of citizens in apartment buildings are facing water shortages, lasting for days at a time.

Nguyễn Anh Việt, director of Viwaco - Clean Water Construction Investment and Trading Joint-Stock Company, said the cause of water shortages is a break of a Đà River pipe.

One of the worst hit places was the Đại Thanh residential area, in Tả Thanh Oai Commune of Thanh Trì District, where thousands of inhabitants were extremely anxious about the lack of water.

“I dare not go to the toilet because it doesn’t always flush,” Trần Phương Lâm, a resident of Đại Thanh urban area told Lao Động (Labour) newspaper.

Looking down at the tap that no longer pours water to wash his dishes, Lâm, living in the CT8A building said angrily: “In recent days, my building has no water, so life for the whole family has been a big mess.”

“I had to take the children back to the countryside, because there is no water, no one can survive,” the 40-year-old man said. “Here I see the building’s workers trying to pump water three times per day, but if a family doesn’t have a water tank, they will have no water for daily use.”

Facing the water shortage for daily living, thousands of residents in the Đại Thanh residential area can’t believe that they still live in fear of a lack of clean water.

Phạm Huy Hiệp, a resident of the 31st floor of the CT8A building, said on June 14 the building’s management board posted a water-cut off schedule, announcing that one day later the water supply was expected to be resumed.

“Although residents are informed in advance about water-cut off times, instead of a day, we have suffered for five days,” he said.

The building’s investor, the water provider, also didn’t explain when the water would be operational again.

According to residents, on June 19, the water shortage still was occurring in many buildings, including CT8A of the Đại Thanh residential area.

The building’s water tank is always dry, sometimes water is dripping, and many families have to mobilise saucepans and pots in all sizes, to collect water.

Hiệp said his family always has members at home so they should open water tap 24/7 to reserve water. “There are days we have to stay up until midnight or wake up at 5am to collect water.”

Several households had to temporarily move to their relatives or friends’ houses.

At present, the water-cutting situation alternates between the buildings of the Đại Thanh residential area.

Nguyễn Thị Thúy, living in the CT8B building said "Our building suffered water shortages last week, but now it has water. Recalling the scene without water in the past few days, the whole family shivered. We must have dinner at vendor shops and every day we move to our friend’s house for washing.”

Long-day water shortages have turned the lives of most of the families upside down, especially families with elderly and children.

Lê Thị Diệp, a resident on the second floor of the CT8A building said “I have a 6-month-old child so activities without water cause the family distress. Other people can take a bath at a friend’s house or eat at a restaurant, but my family has to save every drop or buy water filters for cooking and bathing for the baby, so it’s difficult.”

On June 19 Nguyễn Anh Việt told Lao Động (Labour) newspaper that as of 5pm on Tuesday, the Đại Thanh residential area mostly had water, with the exception of the CT8A building, because water workers still were repairing the water supply pipeline.

Nguyễn Hữu Tài, Chairman of the People’s Council of Tả Thanh Oai Commune confirmed that clean water was back to many buildings in the Đại Thanh residential area, but the CT8A building still has a problem so it contacted the water company about this issue. – VNS