Pollution of many of China's water sources has led to drinking
water posing health risks.?
At a symposium on potable water safety and health on Monday a
group of Chinese experts urged the government and enterprises to
introduce more advanced technologies to protect people from
polluted water.
The symposium is being held concurrently with a national water
pollution prevention conference organized by the State Council.
The deterioration of the Chinese mainland water supply is a
result of water sources being polluted to some extent.?
According to E Xueli, a researcher with the China Disease
Prevention and Control Center, for economic and various other
reasons over 90 percent of Chinese water treatment plants are using
outdated technology.?
"These plants can handle physical and microbial pollution but
not chemical contamination," he said.
"China's waterworks can only filter out 30 percent of the
organic substances in the water treated," warned Wang Zhanshen, a
professor with the Tsinghua University. "People drink the other 70
percent."
China must deal with potable water problems in a scientific and
pragmatic way, spreading knowledge about healthy water and
mobilizing society to promote water safety, Wang said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)