Taking aim on water quality woes

BEIJING - A shortage of water quality monitoring stations is hindering China's ability to mitigate damage done by chemical spills in the nation's waterways, a senior official responsible for water resources said.

Due to the rapid expansion of heavy chemical manufacturing, a great number of chemical plants have settled along rivers, especially along the banks of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway.

"Water safety may be at risk when environmental accidents occur because many rivers are sources of drinking water for cities along the banks," said Hu Siyi, deputy minister of water resources.