The national total of more than 4000 water plant for more than 400 million urban residents at or above the county level, supply 60 million tons of water every day.

Tap water

A paradox: almost all drinking water boundary experts and scholars believe that China's urban water "security"; At the same time almost none of the waterworks self-checking self-test water quality is not qualified.

Which is more close to the truth

At the end of 2007, the national development and reform commission, the ministry of health, ministry of construction, environmental protection administration departments jointly issued by the national urban drinking water hygiene security planning, clear say: "in recent years, sampling percent of pass is 83.4% drinking water throughout the country."

83.4% percent of pass, means not qualified rate of more than 15%, enough to let a person worry, but a lot of the personage inside course of study thinks, it still far underestimated the fraction defective.

Of more than 2000 copies of the above data is based on water, only is the domestic major cities or a few cities water samples, even not including prefecture waterworks. "Unable to represent the national situation." New reporter Song Lange told fortune. Song Lange is of housing and urban-rural development urban water supply water quality monitoring center (hereinafter referred to as the ministry of water quality center) chief engineer. Housing is competent ministries and commissions of the Chinese urban drinking water, water quality center dedicated to monitor water quality. Song Lange said, "China's water problems, the more the more down."

In the second half of 2009, in order to "figure out" roughly the national urban drinking water quality status, housing quality center made a national survey: sampling expanded to all the cities in the county or above; Cross test, "the province can send the province, the province can be sent to a third party, but can not be sent." Song Lange explanation.

Cross test, because China's only two or three cities of water quality monitoring unit is independent of the waterworks, the rest of the monitoring unit, even if is the center of the ministry of water quality monitoring stations and local stations, both by the local water plant internal water quality monitoring department responsibility, "two pieces of brand, people. Such a self-check self-test credibility is not high."

This census, which is more than ten years the largest detection, covers more than 4000 at or above the county level cities in China water plant, the most close to the truth of the drinking water quality data is obtained.

And then what? No then. To date, the ministry did not officially released the survey to foreign income of tap water quality data.

"Without authorization, I can't tell you that number (actual) drinking water." Song Lange said.

In the range of allowable discipline, Song Lange did a part - "the national census, found that more than 4000 water factory, more than 1000 effluent water quality is unqualified. The results showed that different levels of problems. In most parts of" He also stressed that since 2009, the city tap water quality is not too much "improvement".

Factory that the water quality is unqualified, what does it mean?

Water supply is a long chain, after water, after they leave the household in the end. Most of the old urban water system, chaos of the secondary water supply, also can bring new pollution. Residents actually drinking water quality is far worse than the factory.

"More than 1000", "more than" what meaning be?

Several new journalists close to the authorities the personage inside course of study to tell fortune, what they learned the test results, the actual percent of pass is 50%. That is to say, may not nearly 50% qualified, "more than 1000 unqualified", is a broad statement, in an attempt to downplay the impact. , Song Lange neither confirmed nor falsified. He only said, is not optimistic in numerous experts say the safety of drinking water and the local governments and water between positive Numbers, he "firmly in expert".

What is more worrying is that in addition to the city water plant, there are tens of thousands of small waterworks supplies the villages and towns, more backward technology, water security is more difficult to guarantee. At present, there is no comprehensive data about these small waterworks water quality.

Water quality of "the emperor new clothes"

Water quality of the new standard is very strict, but no teeth

In two months, that is, on July 1, 2012, China will enforce the latest drinking water standards.

Last edition "drinking water health standard" in 1985 organized by the ministry of health drinking water health experts, regulation of water quality index of 35 items. In 2006, under the coordination of national standardization management committee, led by the ministry of health, in conjunction with the ministry of construction, ministry of land and resources, ministry of water resources, the state environmental protection administration, organize experts to complete the revision in all respects. In view of the new standard and stricter standards committee requirements, related indicators of the implementation of the project and the date set by provincial governments according to the actual situation, and be submitted to the national standard committee, the ministry of construction and the ministry of health for the record, but all indicators on July 1, 2012 at the latest must implement.

New standards in line with international standards, the index reached 106, with the most stringent quality standards in the world - the eu water quality standard were little changed. China direct drinking tap water appears to be true.

However, this might be expected to compulsive standard is only an armchair strategist, because there is no substantial penalties, not for the local government and waterworks fear. Since the new standard issued, local government and water plants in the water treatment process with little progress.

Song Lan es, the future for a period of time, the new standard only a guide, drinking water and difficult to enforce. The government still will claim that earthly "water quality standard", even if many is just a "the emperor's new clothes".

No towns to realize water straight up in mainland China. Contrast the new standard, relevant industry in the expert analysis, water quality situation roughly divided into several levels:

- the capital Beijing, especially the downtown area within the 4th ring road, water depth on the process generally, water pipe most updated, so from water is the closest distance.

, Shanghai, guangzhou, shenzhen, hangzhou and other large cities, part of the water depth on the process, but because the main pipeline of old, now unable to achieve direct drinking.

- other provincial capital cities such as second-tier cities, with only a few cities on the part of deep treatment process, by reason of water, pipeline, water plant parts of the city water plant is a problem.

- thousands of local city, county-level city, in addition to a few cities, due to the difference of water and the lack of the depth of water treatment process, there are a lot of water.

In addition, China's urban tap water quality testing number too little. According to the current rules, even if is the new standard of 106 testing, only need to test two times a year, the surface water, underground water testing once a year. "Through inspection, less local water plant can avoid the unqualified water quality in high risk. So when the test unqualified, do not represent not qualified testing. In addition, the water plant self-checking self-test, inspection qualified is announced, unqualified is not released."

Fewer water quality detection, but also by detecting ability is poor. Only 40% of the cities in 35 major cities across the country have the ability to detect 106 measures of all, cities at prefectural level, makes all need city at county level, a large number of counties and cities, villages and towns waterworks don't even have regular index detection ability. Song Lange tell fortune, by contrast, the new journalists, at least in the developed countries to check once a month all indicators, testing every day more than 10 to 20 items will check index.

The danger is from where

Organic pollution and heavy metal pollution, replace the microbial pollution become the biggest harm; Periodically between water pollution, often unconsciously.

Drinking water authority, school of environment, tsinghua university professor rebhum thinks, unqualified water, the harm of human body has a visible and invisible. Visible usually microbial pollution hazard, may cause sudden acute disease, but people used to drink boiled water, can kill for microbiological contamination, the performance is not obvious.

Invisible harm, easy to be ignored but deserves more attention. Amount of organic compounds, tap water (CODMn) overweight can lead to chronic diseases. Rebhum tell fortune a new reporter, total organic compounds in drinking excessive amounts of water, "one day, two days no problem, half a year can't see the problem, but organic compounds in human zhongfu, eventually cause harm to the body, serious when may be carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic."

The 2009 census found that surface water as water source of the water plant is unqualified, the main reason is the amount of organic compounds. Water and groundwater as water plant, also appeared a lot of fluorine, arsenic, iron, manganese, etc.

Total organic compounds refers to determination of COD in water by potassium permanganate as the oxidants. COD commonly known as chemical oxygen demand (COD), said the water reducing agents (all kinds of organic compounds, nitrite, sulfide, etc.) how much quantity. The United States environmental protection agency has published reports of existing detection technology found that there are 2221 kinds of organic compounds in water, were found in drinking water 756 kinds, including 20 kind of carcinogen, 23 kinds of suspected carcinogen, promote cancer and 18 kinds of 56 kinds of mutagenic.

Rebhum, according to the organic compounds, quite a part of environmental hormone, also called endocrine disruptors. Environmental hormone has four sorts of damage, can let a person lowered immunity, can affect the person's fertility, can cause cancer, can produce interference of the nervous system. The Chinese center for disease control environment and health related product safety director of the institute for hubei, 2006 in the paper "the health effects of water pollution," cited in more domestic water factory water detection to the situation of environmental hormones.

, director of the institute of tsinghua university institute of environmental safety of drinking water Liu Wenjun argues that public officials at all levels and even the official in charge of water supply, for drinking water and the relationship between the human body health, also seriously insufficient understanding. The first myth is the insufficient understanding of organic compounds, long-term harm, because this kind of harm possible pathogenesis, one hundred and twenty, and it is difficult to confirm the causal relationship between the disease and drinking water.

The second myth is thought just put in the home water machine is ok. Abroad a large number of studies have found that only one-third of harmful substances by drinking water enters the body, the other two-thirds are absorbed through the skin and breath enter human body - when bathing, washing, brushing your teeth, wash your face, still not flee water pollution.

Even the drinking water of sudden pollution become the focus for many times, its frequency is also likely to be underestimated. A few heavy metal pollution incidents happened in recent years, such as cadmium pollution incident in 2008, zhuzhou, xiangtan, longjiang cadmium contamination, in February 2012, guangxi is stumbled upon every time. "Between two tested periodically pollution, often can't detect."

Water supply: "super chemical plant"

The proportion of China's urban water actually qualified may only about 50%

Excess water most harmful substances from water source. More than 30 years rapid industrialization led to a wide range of water source pollution.

The qualified rate of drinking water sources in the city, from all walks of life the most often cited two Numbers, 76.5% and 70%. The figures from the ministry before the 2010 national water environment quality condition, after a number has been official repeated use of the ministry of health, ministry of water resources, etc.

But more than 70% of the water qualified rate does not conform to the actual situation. Environmental protection data, for example, data on the basis of the surface water environment quality standard "(GB3838-2002). 109 measures of surface water quality, the standard of environmental protection to detect only 24 of the basic project, not the rest of the 85 supplement and specific projects. According to this standard, according to water quality of drinking water sources can be divided into five categories. A second type of qualified water, three of the following are for unqualified water, but water environment statistical qualification rate, will be three kinds of water quality is also counted as qualified, so the qualified rate of more than 70%.

Rebhum, Liu Wenjun drinking water experts pointed out that the three kinds of water quality is not qualified. Three kinds of COD content in water has up to 4 to 6 mg/l, conventional water treatment process only numerical within 4 milligrams per liter of water, more than the limit is difficult to mark.

Song Lange personal judgment, three categories of water out the unqualified, in fact, to eliminate some actual unqualified part of the second water source, China's urban water really qualified ratio is about 50%.

Rebhum, Liu Wenjun believes that the 2006 edition of the new standard of drinking water by 1985 35 indicators upgraded to 106 version, the basic can clarify what pollutants into the water.

In 1985, China's urban water source of drinking water is clean, the water effluent should accord with the most basic 35 indicators, that is qualified. In 2006, has seriously deteriorated water environment. Town water pollutants has been dominated by microbial contamination to the solubility of organic pollution and heavy metal ions pollution. Experts said, "what the factory production, what's in the water, the river become a 'super chemical plant."

The new version of the drinking water standard in 2006, compared with the old version, 59 of 71 to add items from the toxicology index. Most serious harm to human body, the main standard index CODMn representative of organic compounds, instead of the five amplification for 53 items.

Rebhum, said a lot of toxic chemical compounds such as benzene, toluene, styrene, etc into the water, a large number of pesticides such as dichlorvos, glyphosate also enter the water. Poisonous inorganic compounds has increased by 11, bromate, chlorate, antimony, thallium, cyanogen chloride and other 11 access control.

New standards are mainly refer to the European Union, the United States and other drinking water standards, the country's empirical research is not much.

Scholars generally believe that China's current situation of water pollution is more serious than the eu industrialization period, rare earth metal pollution type is more unique to China, smelter of heavy metal ions "PaoMaoDiLou" the damage was not seriously, it is to focus on guard in the future.

Industry transformation in recent ten years, the eastern coastal areas, many polluting enterprises into the west, into the countryside, leading to more clean river upstream, source, and groundwater, and gradually into the pollution.

Water: process can't keep up with pollution

Waterworks adopts the traditional process, 97% of the current important pollution type.

Face half unqualified water sources, water lagging water process, the first barrier become out of control.

Traditional water treatment technology was born in Belgium in 1902, was the industry known as the classic "quartet" - flocculation (polyaluminium chloride), precipitation, filtration (through quartz sand, pebbles, etc.), disinfection (adding chlorine gas, etc.). In 2004, the American academy of water treatment technology as a human one of the most important inventions in the 20th century.

Liu Wenjun tell fortune a new reporter, in many cities, New York City, USA, Canada and Australia, are still using the above simple process, can realize drinking water straight up.

"The question is, who still adopts the traditional process of city, which owns the basic unpolluted water. China's large water contamination, this traditional process is no longer suitable." Liu Wenjun said.

Main traditional craft processing of killing microorganisms in water, if the water is contaminated by heavy metal ions and organic compounds, is out of the traditional craft league. Song Lange says, Japan and most European countries, because of the history there have been more serious environmental pollution, to upgrade the traditional water treatment technology, the depth processing, using technologies such as ozone, activated carbon, remove all kinds of organic and inorganic compounds, the pollution of water, finally realizes the direct drinking.

Caixin reporters learned that the depth of the processing is the opposite of illustration, xiangtan city of hunan province three water sources are the xiangjiang river, and the xiangjiang river heavy metal pollution is serious, water quality for three categories. Due to lack of funds, the depth of water cannot upgrade process. And xiangtan local department of health for disease control and prevention said sampling observation, from 2008 to 2008, three water effluent success rate was 91.98%. Place in China, by the local department reported low qualified for the absolute Numbers, is extremely rare.

Scholars tell fortune a new reporter, city, zhejiang province, the water quality is poorer, but by successively the depth of the two sets of water treatment process, to achieve factory quality standards. But the depth of the process is far from universal.

Although the water pollution is serious, the end of 2009, more than 4000 waterworks, the county level and above 98% are still using the traditional process. At present, only Beijing, Shanghai, guangzhou, shenzhen and hangzhou, zhengzhou and other parts of the city water depth processing was realized. Is expected to July 1, 2012 new drinking water standard compulsory execution begins, adopts the advanced treatment of water, will only more one percent.

Song Lange said, lag of water treatment technology, superposition of unqualified water, tap water quality status of severe thing is inevitable.

Household: secondary pollution

Old pipeline and secondary water supply, water quality worse

After water treatment, water flows into the urban water supply pipe network, finally reach the user tap. Door way is not peace, old pipeline and secondary water supply, let are comparable to the deep sorrow of tap water.

The best in Beijing, the condition of tap water for nearly 10 years invested heavily modified water supply network, still not completed, has not yet realize straight drinking water. Most of the small town pipeline old problems that cannot be compared to Beijing, from direct drinking out of reach.

Ministry in 2002, the 2003 survey hundreds of city water supply network, found that the network quality is generally poor, already does not conform to national standard of grey cast iron pipe is occupied 50.80%, 13% ordinary cement pipe, galvanized pipe, accounted for 6%. These three kinds of low-quality network mainly lay in the 1970 s to the 2000. Town shop new pipe network is a great improvement after 2000, but has spread network reconstruction is not much, most inferior quality of the pipe network is still in service, are mainly distributed in the old city area.

"Old pipeline leakage is serious, also prone to secondary pollution." Song Lange was quoted in the paper, 184 cities from 2000 to 2003, 4232 secondary pollution incidents happened in water quality.

Liu Wenjun had years of study of tap water pipe secondary pollution problem. , easy old pipe corrosion and fouling, seeds, producing microbial bacteria react with nutrients in water, the formation of secondary pollution, sometimes visible to the naked eye, water yellow black smelly, but most of the time naked eye cannot be found.

Compared with developed countries, the secondary water supply is one of China's unique problems. China town six floors above the small high-level, high-rise building is more, in order to make 6 layer above the user's water pressure is normal, and to avoid fragile public network under too much pressure, the urban tap water companies choose the pressure at the ends of pipe mode, the tap water pressure to the high-rise building roof tank or half underground reservoir, by reservoir or water tank into the user's home again.

In provincial level city in China, every city has thousands of tanks or reservoirs. Secondary water supply since birth in China, the much-maligned, still mess.

As a result of secondary water supply water quality secondary pollution events, in recent years has been the media; The secondary tank was found dead mouse events, such as also happen again and again.

Who will care a lot of water tank, tank? The water tank, cistern built by property developers, the earliest standards and multifarious model; Property rights generally belongs to the whole population, residents and weak management; Keeper of residential property is usually, but the lack of professional ability, not to mention the sense of responsibility.

Song Lange analysis, from city to city water plant generally by the department of urban construction management, but the secondary water supply facilities in theory belongs to the department of health, waterworks "meddling", and the health sector generally and weak supervision, mainly responsible for checking license to disinfect. In the end, the city secondary water supply facilities become a regulatory weaknesses, no one is responsible for.

Song Lange tend to think that the secondary water supply in fact is not all bad. When the city due to accident or disaster accidents off power, water supply, the secondary tank verifiable resident within a time period is water available, even in some time for the fire department of emergency water. Secondary water supply is a city management problems, mind is a blessing, tube is not good is evil.

Water quality of redemption

We need more input to reform

In rebhum scholars point of view, such as urban water infrastructure is weak. "In the past ten years, and only a small amount of investment, debt is serious, and water pollution. In such a situation, local comprehensive water quality standard, is this a lie?"

Effect a radical cure disease of tap water, the most fundamental measures is to purify the water. This is the consensus of the profession. If water standard, even if is only the most basic of traditional process, the water quality is qualified.

Effect a radical cure water water quality, it is necessary to national level system design, and the water quality of rivers and lakes governance planning docking. "This relationship to the future of the Chinese nation, the root of the future generations well-being, the government responsibility." Rebhum said.

Back to reality, the road to effect a radical cure water at least 15 to 20 years, improve drinking water can't wait that long. Priority and the practical choice, is a combination of the water plant upgrades.

Song Lange preliminary estimated under the condition of existing water supplies, as soon as possible, at least 20% to 30% of the water factory need to get started deep treatment process, there are quite a number of water factory need to improve the traditional process, can achieve basic qualified water effluent quality.

Rebhum more pessimistic, think that China's water pollution is serious, so most of the water need to the depth treatment technology. Especially the place with bad water, must move at once.

Tap water pipe need immediate investment. Liu Wenjun thinks, water supply network has been a global problem, but in recent decades, the developed countries through update network gradually, by technical means to maintain methods of the chemical and physical stability of the pipeline network of water, has been basically solve the problem of pipe secondary pollution. Solve the problem of pipe, is no longer a barrier technology, mainly is the lack of local government investment.

"Because of the urban construction basic forming, replace the pipes do not always get, but should be developed around the schedule, gradually replaced." Liu Wenjun said.

Rebhum ever to the depth of water treatment technology, the cost of economic test, the conclusion is approved by the industry generally: water depth on technology, cost per ton water corresponding increase of 0.3 yuan. Other scholars believe that pipeline hardware investment, can let the water cost is again rose 0.5 yuan per ton. So, if the 4000 for the 60 million tons of water, at or above the county level, costs about 20 billion yuan each year.

Song Lange says at the national level, through the system design to solve the secondary water supply and water quality inspection management system problem.

Liu Wenjun, rebhum, director of the centre for policy studies, tsinghua university water industry Fu Tao jointly called for, and to set up independent of the local water plant professional water quality monitor, water plant self-checking self-test for third-party testing. Water quality testing data to public in a timely manner to the whole society.

Fu Tao believes that developed countries vary in terms of urban water supply system, the path is different, but both can realize qualified drinking water, and even keep straight drinking water standards, the government dominates in the water supply infrastructure investments, the pursuit of efficiency in operational links.

Fu Tao pointed out that China since the late 1990 s, the governments at all levels and the insufficient water for water supply infrastructure spending.

Belonging to the state-owned assets supervision and administration commission of fujian province of fujian fujian luoyuan water co., LTD., is a day of large water companies dealing with millions of tons of water, its water supply business in quanzhou, luoyuan, etc. Chairman of the company in the bellwether, zheng phase earth to gain new reporters complained that due to cost down, every tons of water to lose for three to five cents, loss-making enterprises.

"Water loss, investment without money, the government not to give, said water has marketization; cost of water upside down, for higher water price, the government does not agree, said the water supply industry is a municipal public utilities, government should be unified pricing." Zheng said women.

More than a decade of water industry marketization reform, the need to further time.

In the interview, a drinking water boundary with extremely slow speed, to gain new reporters say three words: for everyone, drinking water, like air, have no choice, unavoidable; For the government, water supply project is the most basic livelihood of the people project, than to repair the road, to build high-speed rail, sloshing more basis; In recent years, water supply has become the most neglected the people's livelihood project.