WAKAYAMA – The city of Wakayama said Saturday that it had started to restore water supplies to some 60,000 homes that had been affected by the partial collapse of a water pipe bridge six days ago.
However, residents in the city near Osaka were asked not to drink the water until further notice in case any impurities were present.
The collapse of the over 500-meter-long bridge that spans the Kinokawa river caused two water pipes to fall into the river on Sunday and cut off the water supply to some households on the north side of the river.
Wakayama resident Kumiko Matsushita, 39, said, “It was the longest week of my life after we lost tap water.”
“I feel uneasy about the water which is still looking slightly discolored, but I want to take a bath at home as soon as possible,” Matsushita said.
According to the city, the collapse affected some 138,000 residents.
As an emergency measure, the city finished installing temporary pipes across another nearby bridge on Friday night.
An inspection of the bridge revealed corrosion to be the likely cause of the collapse.
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