A recent report posted by China's Water Resources Ministry on its website on Tuesday warned that over 80 percent of the water drawn from relatively superficial wells and used by farms, factories as well as the majority of the rural households in the country is hazardous for drinking owing to contamination.
The Water Resources Ministry undertook a study in this regard in January when it examined samples obtained from 2,013 wells with a view to monitor the watersheds in the country's eastern flatland.
The report released by the ministry also showed that majority of the water samples collected from more than 2,000 low underground wells in the northern and eastern regions of the country in 2015 were of very inferior quality. While over 30% samples were of Grade IV quality, which means only fit for agricultural and industrial use, almost 50% of the samples were of Grade V, denoting that they were unfit for use by humans in any manner.
While none of the water samples were considered to be unspoiled, it was found that water taken from the wells in the Beijing region was relatively better compared to those in any other area in the northeast.
Already, there was much concern over the polluted environ that has been severely affecting the water and air quality in several regions of China, and now the figures have augmented the concerns, despite the government's endeavors to reduce pollution. Most of the efforts of the government are focused on the industrial north, which incidentally is among the worst polluted areas of the country, BBC reported.
After the release of the report early this week, officials of the Water Resources Ministry have tried to assure the general public that most of the water supplied to urban households in China is safe as it is obtained from rivers, reservoirs, or deep aquifers and treated to make sure it is safe for human use.
Addressing a news conference, Chen Mingzhong, director of the Department of Water Resources, said, "The quality of drinking water is good overall."
Aside from pollution, water shortages are another problem faced by farmers in China, especially in the dry North China Plain and who are dependent on aquifers. Incidentally, even the water levels in these deep aquifers are plummeting fast. In fact, most major lakes in China are also heavily polluted, mainly because of fertilizer overflow as well as the deposit of crude factory waste.
Watch the video "China water pollution and shortage" below: