Southwest City Suspends Drinking Water from Dianchi Lake

China's southwest city of Kunming, Yunnan Province, has decided to stop drinking water from the polluted Dianchi Lake since July 17, according to the city's water supplier.

Kunming is one of China's 14 cities which has serious water shortages. The city started to take water from Dianchi Lake, which makes up 40 percent of the city's total daily water supply. The country's biggest plateau freshwater lake is among China's most polluted lakes.

Three years ago, the city launched a project to ensure the water supply to its 800,000 citizens by investing 200 million yuan ($24 million). When the project was finished last year, the city built more water works to guarantee quality water.

Major water works developed water-saving facilities as well as tapping new water resources. The city has recycled a total water of 2.5 million cube meters.

Sources with the city's water supplier estimate that after another water supplying project costing 4 billion yuan ($482 million) is complete in 2005, Kunming will stop using water from the Dianchi Lake.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/