As China comes clean on water quality, the message to polluters is crystal clear

Bao Hang says the new transparency and strictness over water pollution in China will help ramp up public pressure on polluters and regulators, just as it did for toxic air

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Fish killed by water pollution float on Tuo lake in Wuhe county of Anhui province in July 2015. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:38am, 25 Aug 2017Updated: 7:29pm, 25 Aug 2017

Last Monday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection released information about the state of China’s water quality. The results were a mixed bag, with 70 per cent of water samples deemed fit for human use, and overall water quality seen as getting better, though slowly.

However, Inner Mongolia and Hebei, provinces noted for their poor water quality, saw standards continue to slide. Moreover, a number of provinces with good water quality were rated as taking a turn for the worse.

What was most impressive about the data release, however, was the release itself. This is the first time that the ministry has made all data about water quality from measuring points across the country publicly available.

This big step towards transparency could be a game changer. Just like the Chinese government’s 2013 decision to increase public access to air quality data, this transparency could lead to greater public awareness of water quality issues and increase civil society engagement and research initiatives – all of which have the potential to put water quality more firmly on the policy agenda.

Groundwater in China’s major river basins is unsafe for humans

This is not the only good news this summer on China’s attempts to tackle water pollution. At the end of June, the government updated its Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law – for just the second time since 1984.