The Yunnan provincial government has announced that it will not only be searching around China but internationally as well as it scrambles to find firms capable of cleaning up arsenic-poisoned Yangzonghai Lake.

The "China Yunnan Yangzonghai Lake Water Pollution Reduction, Arsenic Removal and Water Quality Restoration" project is publicly inviting bids to clean up the lake via the Yunnan Provincial Scientific and Technological Development Research Institute, according to local media reports.

The main objective of the project will be to reduce the amount of arsenic in Yangzonghai's waters from the current 0.128 grams/liter to 0.050 grams/liter within a three-year period.

The discovery in June that Yangzonghai Lake, located 45 kilometers east of Kunming, had heavy arsenic levels has been followed by a banning on drinking the lake water, swimming in the lake and selling vegetables grown in the fertile lake basin. The 26,000 people who had been using lake water for drinking are now dependent upon government shipments of drinking water.

This year, eight companies in the Yangzonghai Lake area were found to be engaging in illegal polluting practices, with Yunnan Chengjiang Jinye Industrial and Trade Co Ltd (云南澄江锦业工贸有限公司) fingered as the main polluter.

The company failed to build the legally required treatment facility for its wastewater, with years of accumulated arsenic seeping into the local water table. It had been fined multiple times in the past, but the relatively small fines were viewed by the company as a cost of doing business, according to Kunming media reports.

Related article: Yangzonghai Lake suffering from heavy arsenic pollution

Tags: environment, pollution, water, Yangzonghai Lake

Despite being landlocked, Yunnan has plenty of water, including the headwaters of the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween Rivers. It is also home to nine large lakes, with Kunming's Dianchi Lake (滇池) the biggest of the group.

Dianchi Lake is also famous for being heavily polluted – to the point where its water is unfit for industrial use. Yunnan's polluted lake club has recently added a new member – Yangzonghai Lake (阳宗海) – which the provincial government announced has heavy levels of arsenic in its waters. Yangzonghai is now officially considered unfit for drinking, swimming in or fishing in.

The arsenic discovery came during a snap inspection of enterprises operating in the Yangzonghai basin 45 kilometers east of Kunming, with eight companies found to be engaging in illegal polluting practices. Yunnan Chengjiang Jinye Industrial and Trade Co Ltd (云南澄江锦业工贸有限公司) has been named as the main polluter.

The company allegedly failed to build the legally required treatment facility for its wastewater, with years of accumulated arsenic seeping into the local water table. Yunnan Communist Party Secretary Bai Enpei (白恩培) and Yunnan Governor Qin Guangrong (秦光荣) have pledged to take "decisive action" to remedy the situation.

As recently as 2002, Yangzonghai had been noted for having water clean enough for drinking and swimming – a stark contrast to the environmental devastation of nearby Dianchi Lake. In February of this year, Kunming Communist Party Secretary Qiu He (仇和) visited Yangzonghai, warning local enterprises that the lake must not become a "second Dianchi".

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Tags: arsenic, Bai Enpei, Dianchi Lake, environment, pollution, Qin Guangrong, Qiu He, water, Yangzonghai, Yunnan Chengjiang Jinye Industrial and Trade

Preferable to wok coffee

Early this morning much of Kunming including the Wuhua and Xishan districts were treated to an abrupt power cut that lasted until this evening.

The lack of electricity was a bit of a drag at first (btw: we don't recommend making coffee with Kunming tap water and an old wok), but then we realized that it was like a sick day without being sick, and the day took on a new light.

The power outage coincides with water cuts that have been making things difficult for the university area. In the last 10 days, five have been waterless for many homes and businesses. Not only have people been going without showers, restaurants and cafes in the area have had to transport their own water from outside.

According to area restaurants, the water department has said that the water stoppage was due to a 'drought' Kunming has been experiencing. This argument would be more convincing if Kunming hadn't been getting buckets of rain for the last several months.

There are rumors that this water shortage in one small area may continue on a sporadic basis for the rest of the year. There are also rumors that some of Kunming's water is being sold to faraway locations that are really experiencing droughts. Hopefully these rumors are just rumors.

One would imagine that the Wuhua district government would realize the importance of providing one of their more populated (and popular) areas with a steady supply of electricity and water.

Tags: electricity, water