Harbin restored its water supply last night following a five-day shutdown caused by the risk of chemical pollution from a factory accident that highlighted the environmental damage from China's rapid industrialisation.

Environmental officials at the north-eastern city's government said yesterday the levels of dangerous chemicals in the river that supplies the city had fallen to normal levels. A local official said, however, that since water had been sitting in the pipes for four or five days residents should wait until further notice before drinking from domestic taps. Harbin's water crisis was caused by an explosion two weeks ago at a chemicals plant in Jilin city that spilt 100 tonnes of benzene and related compounds into the river Songhua, 200km upstream from Harbin.