Low levels of funding

According to insiders from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the fundamental problem in maintaining water quality is the low level of low level of funding. "Investment is far from sufficient in this sector," they said.

Those insiders received support from a number of experts. The problems inherent in the treatment process, the pipes and water tanks can be solved with the existing technology, they said, but there simply isn’t enough money invested in the system to provide that technology.

That problem is compounded by the fact that even raising the water quality indicator by one degree results in spiraling treatment costs. Industry insiders told Xinhua that testing all 106 indicators in one sample costs 15,000 to 20,000 yuan ($2,370 to $3,160). And as all of the indicators must be tested at least once a year, and others on a monthly or weekly basis, that sort of money is beyond most cities at present.

Contact the reporters at wuwencong@chinadaily.com.cn or zhengjinran@chinadaily.com.cn