More than 2.5 million people are at risk from contaminated drinking water caused by heavy pollution at five water plants in this southern Chinese city, a recent study has claimed.
Guangzhou has eight water plants, but supplies at the Jiangcun, Shimen, Xicun, Shixi and Baihedong facilities have been contaminated by heavy metals, chemicals and other industrial pollutants, the study said.
Conducted by the population, resource and environment commission of the Guangdong Political People’s Consultative Conference (GPPCC), the study has been passed to the province’s top advisory body for consideration.
The five plants have a combined drinking water output of 2.53 million cubic tons, and supply about 2.67 million people throughout Guangzhou’s Liwan and Yuexiu districts and parts of Baiyun and Haizhu.
The plants are fed from the Liuxi River and western section of the Pearl River route. [Full Text]