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China's Largest Freshwater Lake Remains Clean
China's largest freshwater lake remains full of water clean enough for people to drink without processing, according to a water official in Jiangxi Province.
Li Rongfang, deputy head of the Bureau of Hydrology of Jiangxi, said that "water that flowed from Poyang Lake into the Yangtze River in 2000 is basically better than the third-grade level according to the national standard. This means it can be drunk by people without any processing."
Covering 3,583 square kilometers in central China, Poyang Lake is located in a major production area of rice and fish in China, and is also one of the most important habitats for migrant birds.
The Report on Water Resources of Jiangxi Province in 2000, the latest official report on the environmental situation of the lake, says 89.1 percent of its water is better than the national standard for third-grade water throughout the year.
The remaining 10.9 percent is at third-grade level, which means it can be consumed after some treatment.
Li said the water quality of the lake reflects the good environmental quality of the province's water bodies as a whole.
"Jiangxi has been closely watching its water quality through a province-wide network," Li said, adding that the province has shut down a number of heavy-polluting small paper works in recent years.
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