For difficult months after the fateful day in August, the Shanghai Waterworks maintained a full supply of water for every consumer, That was only possible because of the reliability and efficiency of the large Chinese and foreign staff. The success achieved in keeping the water flowing was due to skilled Organization based on past experience. Despite the emergency of the times many units of the staff were released for duty with the Shanghai Volunteer Corps and the Special Police. The 8th Division (Waterworks) Special Police were 35- strong. Only when conditions returned to normal did these men return to the peace time jobs.
The destruction of the Chapei Electricity and Waterworks: Co" power plant threw an extra burden upon the Shanghai Waterworks. From August 16, Chapei needed over 1,000,000 gallons each day, Very soon after. hostilities broke cut the Yangtszepoo production plant—was placed on a semi-military basis. Permanent strong posts were built under military advice. The heart of the works was protected by sandbags and splinter-proof shelters were built for the early guard from. the Royal Navy which was later replaced by a detachment of British regulars, The danger from bombs was ^a nightly menace for weeks on end. The Yangtszepoo works were in the exact centre of the Eastern district, the permanent target for countless raids. With Japanese warships nearby and the Japanese aviation field not far away. the works were in a hot-spot of attack and counter-attack, The huge building and its big staff escaped miraculous; Four incendiary bombs, eight high explosive shells, any amount of sbapnel and innumerable antiaircraft shell fragments fell harmlessly in the immediate neighbourhood. The, material damage to the building was negligible and the staff escaped without a scratch,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.