In central Hanoi, water pipes build huge spider mazes

More than 40 water pipes run outside the yard of a collective zone, a post-war residential complex for public workers, on Nguyen Cong Hoan Street in Hanoi's Ba Dinh District. The kind of complex was built in the 1990s and people used to have to carry buckets of water up stairs to their houses, until they came up with the pipeline idea. Each family installed their own pipes to transport water from a shared tank.

"The complex was built in the 1990s. Residents from the first floor have their own plumbing system and the rest use water provided by that big tank," Dung, a resident, said.

Hundreds of pipes are connected to the water tank of another collective zone on Le Phung Hieu Street, Hoan Kiem District. The complex has two tanks on the rooftop. However, due to limited capacity of the tanks, people have built an extra, submerged one to have more water for the whole area.

Plenty of pipes on the ground.

Loud noises can be heard from 50 electric water pumps in a collective one on Le Trong Hieu Street, day or night.

"Freshwater flows through the primary meter into the tank. Each family also has their own water meter. These meters have been neatly arranged on this metal rack for years," a resident said.

Every family has their own water meter. This one is carefully locked by chains.

Many water pumps are placed high above the ground.

The water pipes run across the power line network.

Pipes can be seen on every wall.