Our reporter (Li Jing, intern reporter Huang Jing and Meng Fanze) recently received reports that residents living on the first to fifth floors of Unit 1, Building 2, in the Four Directions Scenic Garden residential area in Fengtai District have been experiencing a strong, unpleasant odor emanating from their tap water. Some residents who used this water experienced symptoms such as dizziness and stomach pain. Following the incident, the Fengtai District Health Supervision Bureau, the Center for Disease Control, and the Beijing Municipal Water Group went to the neighborhood for investigation. The Beijing Municipal Water Group stated that due to one resident illegally connecting the tap water line to the reclaimed water pipeline, reclaimed water had flowed into the tap water system. Currently, post-incident handling measures have been implemented.
Ms. Wei, who lives on the fourth floor, said that her family mainly uses tap water for cooking, boiling vegetables, or making hot water to drink. Last Friday evening, when she turned on the faucet to use water, she smelled a pungent odor, "It was nose-burning and somewhat smelly," which reminded her of the smell of reclaimed water used to flush toilets. "At first, I didn't pay attention, thinking it might be the smell of disinfectant in the tap water." Since no physical discomfort was experienced, she didn’t take it seriously and continued using the tap water with the strange odor.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the previous day that residents, while chatting downstairs, discovered that the occurrence of the unusual odor in the tap water was not an isolated case. All residents on the first to fifth floors of the building were experiencing the same situation. Suspecting a problem with the pipelines causing reclaimed water to flow into the tap water pipeline, they immediately stopped using the tap water and called to inform the property management and the water company. Yesterday, after verification with multiple households on the first to fifth floors, it was confirmed that all of them had smelled the unusual odor and consumed the water. Two households on the third and fourth floors mentioned that they had frequently experienced stomachaches in recent days, “I need to go to the toilet every so often, which is very uncomfortable.”
Temporary Water Supply Cutoff for 25 Households
Below the fifth floor of Unit 1, Building 2, the water supply is municipal, while above the fifth floor, it is supplied by the property management. A total of 25 households on the first to fifth floors were affected by the water source issue. After residents reported the problem to relevant departments in the afternoon of the previous day, the Beijing Municipal Water Group, the Fengtai District Health Supervision Bureau, and the Fengtai District Center for Disease Control promptly visited the neighborhood to inspect the tap water. To ensure the water supply for residents, the Beijing Municipal Water Group transported clean water sources via water trucks.
At around 11:00 AM yesterday, the water supply was cut off for the first to fifth floors of the building. The property management posted an urgent notice in the elevator stating that they needed to inspect and repair the tap water pipelines on the first to fifth floors, deciding to halt the tap water supply. In the neighborhood, staff members from the Fengtai District Center for Disease Control and the Beijing Health Supervision Bureau were still investigating the matter, but the on-site staff did not accept interviews from reporters. In the afternoon, the water truck providing the water source left the neighborhood. Property manager Mr. Guo stated that before the normal water supply is restored, they will continue to provide bottled water for the residents to use.
Private Connection Introduces Reclaimed Water
Ms. Liang, a relevant official from the Beijing Municipal Water Group, said that the emergency response team conducted two inspections in the neighborhood in the afternoon of the previous day and the morning of yesterday, ultimately identifying the pollution source as Room 301, Unit 1, Building 2. Investigations revealed that the user had privately installed a valve in their bathroom capable of connecting the tap water and reclaimed water systems. The homeowner explained that due to frequent water outages caused by the property management's inspection of the reclaimed water pipelines, they opened the valve to use tap water for flushing the toilet. After the reclaimed water pipeline resumed water supply, reclaimed water flowed into the tap water pipeline.
Currently, the property management is assisting the homeowner in disconnecting the connections between the pipelines. The Center for Disease Control has assigned a disinfection company to disinfect the pipelines. After the disinfection is complete, the Center for Disease Control will conduct water quality tests on the entire pipeline and issue a qualified report, after which the water company will restore the water supply. Yesterday, the reporter went to Room 301 to find the homeowner but was unsuccessful. Property manager Mr. Guo stated that currently, no personnel have been hospitalized due to discomfort from drinking the water source. A relevant official from the Fengtai District Health Supervision Bureau said that they have taken back water samples for investigation. However, as of the time of the reporter’s deadline, they had not responded to the reporter's questions.
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