Over 70% Beijing rivers in poor conditions

Zhang Liuhao

2006-02-14 Beijing Time

FIFTY-SIX of the 78 rivers monitored by the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau failed to meet the regulatory standard last year, China News Service reported today.

Additionally, 47 of the rivers were given a final evaluation of "severely poor quality level," the bureau said.

Beijing has more than 100 rivers and 84 reservoirs. The Miyun Reservoir and other drinking water sources are well protected, however most of the rivers in the lower regions had poor water quality.

The bureau said the rivers and lakes in the capital's downtown were generally in terrible condition. A third of the 19 lakes in the downtown were given the evaluation of having the terrible water qualities.

The city will issue water environment reports regularly as part of its increasing efforts to control water pollution this year, China News Service said.

The bureau will order the companies who cannot meet the waste discharge criteria to renovate their facilities. It will also strike down new projects coming from companies that do not have waste process management systems in use.

Beijing will build 700-kilometer of new waste pipelines before 2008, and will refurbish 200 kilometers of the old pipelines to reduce the direct waste inflow to the rivers.

Authorities will also improve the water quality through dredging, weeding and by sustaining the fish populations.