Home / Environment / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Beijing Tap Water Now Safe to Drink
Adjust font size:

Beijing has become the first city in China to meet the required safety standards of potable water.

The Beijing municipal water authority said water in the capital had passed all 106 tests for contaminants as required by new national standards that took effect on Sunday.

"Beijing met the standards at the end of last year," Yu Yaping, official with the water authority told China Daily yesterday. "As industry insiders, we received the standards a long time ago. We immediately took action to improve the capital's drinking water quality," Yu said.

Fan Kangping, director of the water quality center of Beijing Waterworks Group, said the city's water had been potable since 2003.

"The Ministry of Construction, as one of our administrative authorities, issued water quality regulations consisting of 101 standards many years ago," Fan said.

However, complaints have been received from people about the metallic taste of the water and its unpleasant smell in the south part of the city.

"That is the result of secondary pollution," Yu said.

"Old tap water pipes are responsible for the bad taste."

It is estimated 7,000 km of underground pipes transport water to 16 million residents.

Some pipes were laid 50 to 60 years ago, according to a source close to the water authority.

"We have a dilemma. The water piped out is clean and safe but gets contaminated before it reaches users," Fan said.

The Beijing Waterworks Group supplies about 600 to 700 million cubic meters of drinking water every year.

(China Daily July 3, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read

Related Stories
China to Raise Water Quality Standards
Safe Water for All Is 2015 Goal
Safe Tap Water Promised for Olympics
Renovation to Ensure Clearer Tap-water
The Beijing Tap-water Museum
Potable Tap Water Available in 2015
SiteMap | About Us | RSS | Newsletter | Feedback
SEARCH THIS SITE
Copyright © China.org.cn. All Rights Reserved     E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-88828000 京ICP证 040089号