Beijing's water comes under supervision

2013 will see the introduction of more supervisory regulation, including the supervision of water quality. Starting from today the capital has begun releasing extensive information on drinking water quality to the public. The move comes at a time when national concerns over the environment and public health are rising fast. But will merely releasing more information allay public concerns?

By the end of this year, all water supply companies are expected to regularly release their monitoring data. Authorities require majors suppliers to monitor 106 quality indicators. For Beijing residents, the information is now available online. But numbers alone won't guarantee an improvement in quality.

Li Bo, director of Friends of Nature, said,"Releasing information alone is not enough. The public still worry about water quality because they don't understand what all the indicators mean. As quality of life in general has improved for many, it's natural for higher standards of health and safety to be demanded."

There's been a new crisis of confidence in the quality of Beijing's tap water in recent weeks, as some water researchers claimed they've drunk only bottled water for the past two decades. Their story has gone viral on the internet, leading many to believe the capital's water quality has witnessed a deterioration over time. The Ministry of Health has responded quickly, saying Beijing's tap water meets the country's latest monitoring standards, which took effect last year. China's current tap water standard saw quality indicators rise to 106 from 35, almost on par with the EU. China's latest standard revisions took place in 1985 and 2006, while many western countries revise their water quality standards annually.

Li Bo said,"National standardization should constantly be raised as a country develops. It shouldn't be a fixed value. Environmental standards are usually lower in China than in many developed countries, but it doesn't mean our bodies are any more immune to pollution."

Although the quality of tap water is gradually becoming better understood by the public, experts say monitoring and the protection of water sources still needs to be improved.