Drinking water pipelines contaminated with micro-organisms
September 11, 2014 Category Environment, Pollution
Large colonies of micro-organisms – some capable of causing serious disease – have been discovered inside pipelines carrying drinking water to homes in most major Chinese cities. Fortunately, most people habitually boil water before drinking, killing off the organisms and reducing the risk of outbreaks, but many foreign visitors often drink from the tap. Senior government officials and water scientists met last year in Beijing to discuss potable water safety, industry insiders say. One possible solution is to launch a national program to replace pipes with high-quality ones, made either of steel or plastic with special coatings. But such an effort would be costly and some experts question whether the central government would commit to the funding. Water safety has come under scrutiny following a tap water scare in Lanzhou, Gansu province in April. Benzene, which can cause cancer, was discovered in tap water at levels 20 times higher than national limits. An official investigation found that outdated water ducts were to blame and nine officials were disciplined for their role in the incident. Professor Guan Yuntao, associated with a laboratory in Shenzhen under the auspices of Tsinghua University, has been carrying out government-funded research on micro-organism in urban water networks for several decades. The organisms together with organic compounds and heavy metals are the main contributors to unsafe drinking water. In some cities, membranes consisting of a variety of species can form on the inside surface of pipes – much like plaque in human arteries – in a matter of days. The organisms release corrosive waste materials that accelerate the ageing of pipes. Leaks are a common problem and in some cities, up to half the supply is wasted due to problems with the pipe network, the South China Morning Post reported. Replacing Beijing’s more than 9,000 km of pipeline would cost more than CNY90 billion. The capital consumed 3.6 billion cubic meters of water last year.
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