A massive oil spill clean-up operation on the wharf and anti-flood wall in the Wujing area has made significant progress, according to officials.

The city launched the clean-up effort on Sunday to prevent the oil slick from spreading upriver before the coming of the highest tide on August 15 (July 18 according to the Chinese lunar year).

Seventy per cent of the raw water filtered into Shanghai's drinking water is drawn from the area of the Songpu Bridge, 17 kilometres upriver from the spill site.

"We have experts to oversee the clean-up and we are capable of protecting these water sources," said Liang Hong, spokeswoman of Shanghai Water Authority.

If the oil runs upriver the water sources will be closed. Tap water factories have abundant raw water in stock and the Yangtze River in use to supply residents with quality water, she added.

Six authorities, including Shanghai Maritime Administration and Shanghai Armed Police participated in the three-day effort.

Dredges are working in Wujing park and the timber wharf area to get rid of the mud, and oil dispersants have been utilized in cleaning the wall and construction surfaces.

Latex gloves and other protective materials have been distributed to all clean-up staff to protect their health.

On Sunday, in an effort to push oil slicks on the Huangpu River out to sea, the pumping station on the Taipu River in Wujing started to discharge water downriver at a speed of 200 cubic metres per second.

It will do no harm to the sea because the sea is capable of absorbing the pollution, according to the Shanghai Anti-flood Headquarters.

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