Last month, the Chinese State Council said it will spend $5.5 billion over 10 years to improve monitoring of and cleanup technologies for groundwater. Groundwater is the source of drinking water for about 70% of the Chinese population. The Ministry of Land and Resources claims that 90% of the country’s shallow groundwater is polluted, with 37% being contaminated to the extent that it cannot be treated for human consumption. Groundwater pollutants, such as heavy metals, organic solvents, petrochemicals, pesticides and nitrates, contribute to 190 million illnesses and 60,000 deaths per year in China, with a price tag of $23 billion, or 1% of GDP. Objectives of the plan include the implementation of a groundwater-monitoring system, management of pollution sources and restoration of aquifers for drinking water by 2020.

Source: Science Magazine