Rubbish dumped on edge of Lake Tai puts drinking water of millions at risk

About 12,000 tonnes of rubbish dumped on the edge of Lake Tai continues to pose a contamination risk to drinking water in Suzhou, but local authorities and residents still can’t agree on exactly what the garbage contains, mainland media report.

In one instance, Suzhou police discovered on July 1 that eight cargo boats had shipped about 4,000 tonnes of rubbish from Shanghai and dumped it on a small island in Jinting township.

The local government said it had taken “emergency measures” to reduce pollution as the water level in Lake Tai, which is on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, nears a historic high as a result of torrential rains.

Local officials opened up sluice gates to lower the water level, ahead of rain forecast for Monday night and Tuesday.

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Shanghai authorities say the rubbish is construction waste, but local media claim it also contains household refuse.

The dumping started on June 12, according Xinhua Daily, a Jiangsu-based newspaper. Suzhou authorities said 12 people – including the cargo boat owner and middlemen – had been arrested on the charge of damaging the environment.