Work begins on water pipeline

Construction of a water pipeline connecting the coastal mainland province of Fujian with Kinmen, a Taiwan islet, started on Monday when excavators began operations at Longhu Reservoir on the Jinjiang River, the source for the water-diversion project.

Water will be stored at the reservoir before being pumped into the pipeline and sent to Kinmen, only a dozen kilometers away.

Tsai Chi-chao, director of the Kinmen water plant, said the water supply has been a constant headache for the 153-square-kilometer island, especially with the increasing number of tourists.