New taipei: New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih announced on Sunday that a damaged water pipeline in Xinzhuang District will be repaired by Monday. The incident has impacted approximately 10,000 households after the pipeline was inadvertently damaged during construction work.

According to Focus Taiwan, the mishap occurred during pile foundation work for an ongoing project on New Taipei Boulevard. A contractor accidentally excavated a water pipeline with a diameter of around 500 millimeters, located three meters beneath the road surface. In response to the incident, authorities implemented emergency measures to maintain water supply and prevent large-scale outages.

Mayor Hou, along with Deputy Mayor Chu Ti-chih, Public Works Department Director Feng Chao-lin, and Fire Department Director Chen Chung-yueh, visited the site on Sunday afternoon. They assured residents that the emergency repair work would be carried out promptly to minimize disruption to daily life and traffic.

Maintenance Office Director Cheng Li-hui explained that Taiwan Water Corp. was alerted immediately after the incident. The company closed water valves and made supply adjustments to ensure basic water usage could continue in the affected area, which extends north of Wugong Road toward the New Taipei Industrial Park.

Director Feng added that prior to the construction, pipeline surveys and a joint inspection with the water utility were conducted. However, discrepancies in underground pipeline maps and changes in road layout due to metro construction led to the accidental damage of the water pipeline.

To manage traffic effectively, the New Taipei City Police Department Traffic Police Corps has closed specific lanes on New Taipei Boulevard and Siyuan Road. Commuters are advised to use alternative routes, including New Taipei Boulevard, Xinzhi 2nd Road, Huacheng Road, Fuhui Road, Xinzhi 6th Road, and Wugong 6th Road, to ease congestion during the Monday morning rush hour.