In the midst of the continued controversy surrounding the “oil tanker transporting edible oil” incident, a video of a “fecal suction truck delivering water” in Enshi, Hubei Province has recently gone viral online, sparking outrage among netizens.
On July 10th, a video shot by a resident of Enshi, Hubei was widely circulated online. The video showed a specialized vehicle labeled with cardboard signs as a “water delivery truck” parked by the roadside. Some netizens discovered that the words “water” and “delivery” on the signs were covering the words “suction” and “feces.”
Fecal suction trucks are specialized vehicles used primarily for cleaning operations in environments such as septic tanks, sewage drains, and sewers. They are classified as one of the three major sanitation vehicle types along with water sprinkler trucks and garbage trucks.
Reports about the incident were initially published on NetEase and Sohu websites but were quickly deleted.
On Weibo, some netizens commented, “It’s probably for watering plants, definitely not for drinking,” and “Big fecal trucks providing water for landscaping and nurseries are acceptable.”
Others stated, “Many small bathhouses use these trucks to transport hot water,” “During the pandemic, it’s common for garbage trucks to transport essential supplies,” and “There are still many secrets in the transportation industry that we are unaware of.”
The exact time when the video was filmed and whether the fecal suction truck in the video was transporting irrigation water or drinking water remain unknown.
In fact, back in July 2020, Enshi, Hubei had a similar incident involving fecal suction trucks delivering water, which stirred controversy.
Due to continuous heavy rainfall and flood discharge from upstream reservoirs on the Qing River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, Enshi experienced severe flooding in July. Subsequently, due to a landslide affecting the water plant, the city faced a four-day water supply disruption.
On July 23rd, a video posted by netizens showed a water delivery truck labeled as a “fecal suction truck,” with many residents lining up to collect water in the streets of Enshi.
A local resident, Ms. Guo, told NTD, “Rescue vehicles are currently delivering water to residential areas. People have to collect water in containers as it’s insufficient. The water quality is poor, so we dare not drink it; we have to buy bottled water instead.”
Apart from fecal suction trucks delivering water, during the three-year pandemic lockdown period, several incidents where official organizations in mainland China used garbage trucks to transport essential supplies have surfaced. In March 2020, Wuhan municipal authorities used garbage trucks and ambulances to transport frozen meat and other food items for residents in residential areas.