The Stream, November 28: Sewage Pollutes Water for China’s South-North Project

Pollution
Water polluted with sewage is flowing into the Danjiangkou Reservoir, a source of water for China’s South-North water transfer project that is slated to provide water to Beijing and Tianjin as early as next year, Bloomberg News reported. The Chinese government has blamed the pollution on industries that dump untreated sewage into the five rivers that feed the reservoir.

Japan may spend an additional $US 100 million to speed up the control of contaminated water leaks at its damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Reuters reported. The leaks have become a major source of criticism for the Tokyo Electric Power Co as it works to decommission the plant.

Resource Extraction
Some areas of the United Kingdom may not have enough water to support hydraulic fracturing operations, according to an agreement recently signed between Water UK and the UK Onshore Operators Group, the Guardian reported. In such cases, outside water would need to be transported to the drilling sites.

As Afghanistan starts to develop its vast mineral resources, the country needs better laws to protect its citizens and environment, according to international officials and advocacy organizations, the Guardian reported. One group, Global Witness, expressed concern that current laws do not seem to limit the amount of water used by the mining industry.

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Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek