NANHAI Rose Garden, a residential estate in Nanshan District, has been surrounded by polluted seawater, according to an online post Monday.

The post complained about Shenzhen Water Group’s rain and sewage distribution network renovation projects in the Shekou area. Some pictures attached to the post show a significant difference between the discharged water and the seawater in the area near the estate.

A reporter with sznews.com found oil stains on the surface of the water in the area and a foul odor.

A resident, surnamed Chen, said the pollution is not noticeable in the afternoon because it is discharged into the bay in the morning and then diffuses.

Chen added that if the problem isn’t solved, there would be no point in purchasing an apartment in the area.

Data from a real-estate website showed that the average price of an apartment in Nanhai Rose Garden is around 80,000 yuan (US$11,764) per square meter, and the price of apartments in the second phase of the estate is as high as 85,524 yuan per square meter.

According to a staffer with Shenzhen Water Group, the rain and sewage distribution project in the area can only divert sewage to the sewage plant during the dry season. When it rains and the rainwater culvert opens, rainwater and sewage are mixed together, which leads to the current situation.

“There is a rain culvert below the Nanhai Rose Garden, which is used to collect both rainwater from Park South Road and residents’ sewage water. When there is a downpour, we have to open the gate to avoid a flood, and that’s how the rain and sewage are mixed together,” said the employee with the group.

The Nanshan Environmental Protection and Water Resources Bureau said that renovation of drainage networks was under way.

As of June 30, the authority had completed work in 38 communities and plans to finish renovation in 44 other communities in the Shekou area this year. Work in the remaining 14 communities in Shekou is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

(Zhang Yang, Lei Kaibin)