CRISISBOOM

The quality of China’s tap water was raised on World Water Day. Reports and statements by professionals all point to a drinking water crisis.

Despite a five-year period given water companies to comply with higher governmental sanitary standards for drinking water running out on July 1, 2012, pollution of drinking water and drinking water sources remain a serious issue in China.

Li Wei, secretary of China’s Environmental Protection Foundation (EPF), said that in 2007, 27.6 percent of China’s surface water quality fell into class 5, the lowest according to the Water Quality Index, making it basically unusable.

Li said the overall pollution level of China’s seven natural hydraulic systems was “medium,” based on the EPF’s River Pollution Index’s four categories–none, slight, medium, and serious.

According to China’s 2nd National Water Assessment report, 35.6 percent of drinking water in China is not drinkable. Read more…