Pollution and panic

During May and June 2007, a massive algae bloom broke out in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, provoking public panic and damaging local aquaculture businesses.

By late May, tap water in the city had developed an unpleasant odor. Experts later discovered the smell had been caused by contamination of the subterranean water supply, which was connected to Taihu Lake, by a type of blue-green algae called microcystis, which is highly toxic and dangerous to both plant and animal life.

Panic ensued, and local stores and supermarkets quickly ran out of bottled water. To quell public fears, the local government officials publicly drank boiled tap water to prove it was safe to drink, and also introduced measures to ensure the water was drinkable within a few days of the outbreak.