简体中文
Outdated water ducts have been blamed for contamination of tap water that affected 2.4 million people in the northwestern Chinese city of Lanzhou in April, local authorities announced Thursday.
Investigators found that cracks were found on two ducts at a water plant owned by Lanzhou Veolia Water Company, a Sino-French joint venture and the sole water supplier for urban Lanzhou.
The ducts had been in use beyond their design life. The channels, designed with an operation period of 50 years, have been carrying water since 1959. Underneath the ducts lies Lanzhou Petrochemical's oil pipeline, according to Chen Jianjun, deputy chief of the investigation team, at a press conference held by the city government.
Crude oil leaks from the pipeline had polluted the soil and underground water, which seeped through the cracks of the conduct and brought hazardous levels of benzene into the city's tap water, said Chen.
Meanwhile, 20 people have been held responsible for the accident, including officials from the municipal government, the Lanzhou Veolia Water Company and Lanzhou Petrochemical company.
The deputy mayor of Lanzhou was given an administrative warning, and Yao Xin, chairman of Lanzhou Veolia Water Company, has been sacked. Its French-nominated general manager, Jia Qinghong, will also be fired.
Excessive levels of benzene were reported on the morning of April 11,and the city government warned citizens not to drink the water for 24 hours, causing great panic among residents.
Benzene is a colorless carcinogenic compound used to manufacture plastics. It is known to damage the human hematopoietic system, which produces blood.
