Beijing Won’t Blend Recycled Water into Drinking Water – Beijing Times

Translated by CDT from the Beijing Times:

Rumors have it that Beijingers will probably soon drink a mixture of first-hand tap water with recycled water. Yesterday, Beijing Water Bureau’s deputy director Cheng Jing (Á®ãÈùô) dismissed the rumors, which potentially could have created panic. “Beijing’s water recycling technology has reached world class standards,” the official said. “We may not have found what toxic substances are in recycled water, so we cannot just yet mix recycled water into the tap water.”

The water official also clarified Singapore’s practice of injecting 5-10% of recycled water into their drinking water, which is done by running the recycled water through its original water system and then mixing with tap water. In Beijing, however, recycled water has been used in agriculture, industry, landscaping or other purposes. The water bureau has found no harm in using the water in irrigating farmland. The bureau official reiterates that recycled water will still be primarily used in non-drinking sectors. [Full Text in Chinese]