China's water problems

China’s Water problems

During my recent trip to China I spent two weeks in Shanghai and witnessed first hand a water crisis of epic proportions. Shanghai now has an estimated population of 22 million and is expanding into the sea (witness Pudong and subsidence which has been an ongoing issue in Shanghai.) and out into the countryside. With predictions that 21 of the world’s largest cities having populations of over 8 million, face collapse of their water supplies, I decided to look into the problem for very personal reasons.

When I stepped into the apartment where my mother was staying I was assaulted by a terrible smell – a swampy, dank, foul odor. I thought something had died. Then I find out that it’s the water. Water used to wash clothes, the floors, kitchen utensils leaves a residual stink in the house.

The problem is manifold, poor treatment of industrial wastewater, domestic sewage and agricultural run-off polluting surface water and structural water shortages; (2) pollution caused by SO2, TSP and dust fall caused by the use of coal as the main energy source; (3) acid rain; (4) careless disposal of hazardous industrial solid waste, and (5) pollution caused by automobile exhaust.

What’s being done? Sustainability efforts include higher water tariffs, installation of low flow water fixtures and increase of public awareness. Will this be enough?

Turn back the clock some 25 years to my first visit to Shanghai. The first thing I was warned was not to drink the tap water or even use it for brushing my teeth. A squadron of thermoses next to the sink held potable water – water that had been boiled and stored for use. It took some getting used to, ordering tea instead of water, or drinking the local beer because fresh, cool water was not to be found …twenty five years ago there was no bottled water.

The old practice of boiling the heck out of the water may kill harmful organisms but does nothing to help the terrible taste. Today my family gets around this problem by buying spring water for all cooking and utensil clean up. But most families cannot afford the luxury of bottled water.

While there I also experienced a typhoon – which, as it turns out, are becoming more frequent and intense – a by product of climate change perhaps?

Looking at the problems in Shanghai made me more aware of the problems that we will be facing in Houston.