NANJING, May 9 -- Water supply in Jingjiang City in east China's Jiangsu Province was suspended on Friday after abnormal water quality was found in the Yangtze River water source, according to local authorities.

The city's water company detected a strange odor in the river water around 10 a.m., said a statement posted by the city's official account on microblogging site Sina Weibo.

The government initiated an emergency response plan and the water supply is expected to resume before 5 p.m., as backup supply is ready to be delivered, said the statement.

Samples of the water have been sent for testing, according to a spokesman with the city government.

A string of water pollution incidents has aroused serious concern across China. The latest occurred last month in Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province, when excessive levels of benzene were detected in the city's tap water.