According to the Urban Water Supply Conference held by the Bureau of Urban Utilities and Landscaping of Guangzhou, Guangzhou will implement China's new drinking water standard in three stages. By the end of this August, inspections will be carried out on major water plants and if necessary, measures will be taken in some plants for renewal.

The new standards will be implemented in three stages: from January to August 2007, to find out problems in Guangzhou's water plants, and to formulate appropriate plans for renewal; from September 2007 to December 2010, the water plants are to carry out the renewal plan; from January to October 2011, examination and approval.

Guangzhou has China's biggest and most advanced water plant. Since being put into use two years ago, the water plant has carried out strict measures to control the quality of drinking water, and advanced water purity technology was adopted. According to the monitoring to 41 points and sampling to 59 points, many parameters have reached the top level in the world. At present there are 210 international parameters for drinking water.

In January, the Standardization Administration of China and the Ministry of Health revised the Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water and the 13 examination methods, and released the compulsory Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water (GB5749£­2006).

Editor: Donald