Lanzhou residents' call for tap water lawsuit rejected

The Gansu provincial branch of the China Consumers' Association has turned down a request by 20 residents of Lanzhou, the provincial capital, to file a public interest lawsuit on their behalf against the city's tap water supplier in the wake of a contamination incident, People's Daily reported on April 22.

Veolia Water, a Sino-French joint venture and the sole water supplier for urban Lanzhou, found high levels of benzene in its plants on the afternoon of April 10, yet continued to supply tap water to the city's residents until 11 am the next day.

The delayed announcement and action from the water supplier angered some residents, and 20 residents of the city have submitted a written request to the Gansu provincial branch of the China Consumer's Association. The residents demanded that the association file a public interest lawsuit on their behalf, People's Daily reported.

According to China's newly revised consumer rights law, the China Consumer's Association and its provincial branches are the only legitimate entities for filing public interest suits.

Luan Mingjun, secretary general for the branch, accepted the letter but denied the request by the local residents.

Luan said that according to the association's regulations, it cannot accept complaints from consumers while authorities are still investigating a case.

He added that a legal interpretation has yet to be issued by the Supreme People's Court to determine in which cases the association can file public interest lawsuits.

However, he said the branch could research the feasibility of filing such a lawsuit against Veolia Water in the near future.