Outrage Grows as Chinese Netizens Report Sewage-Like Tap Water in Several Provinces
Udumbara
In the past week, residents across multiple provinces in China have taken to social media to report alarming conditions in their tap water—ranging from foul, sewage-like odors to discoloration and oily textures.
The uproar began in Hangzhou, China, where widespread reports of foul-smelling tap water prompted residents to queue at local water resource sites with buckets and jugs in hand on July 21. While local authorities have issued repeated assurances that the water meets safety standards, public skepticism remains high.
“Who actually believes these reports?” one user wrote on Chinese social media. “The moment you turn on the tap, it smells like sewage.”
As videos documenting the dirty tap water began circulating on Chinese social media platforms like Douyin—China’s version of TikTok—WeChat, and Xiaohongshu (RedNote), many were quickly deleted, shadow-banned, or had their reach limited by the Chinese Communist Party’s stringent censorship regime.
Facing censorship at home, Chinese citizens have increasingly turned to overseas platforms such as X and Telegram to share their concerns.
Contamination Spreads Beyond Hangzhou
What began as a local phenomenon in Hangzhou quickly evolved into a nationwide concern. Within days, Chinese netizens in at least six other provinces—including Guangdong, Chongqing, and Hubei—posted similar complaints on social media platforms.“This has been happening for years, and no one ever does anything about it,” he said.
Discrepancies in Official Narrative
In Hangzhou, the municipal government officials have blamed the smell on a natural phenomenon—the anaerobic breakdown of algae, producing sulfur compounds. Nevertheless, many remain unconvinced.“Algal blooms happen almost every year,” said a biological sciences graduate from China’s top Zhejiang University, in an interview with The Epoch Times. “Why is it only this year that the water smells like feces?”
He added that Chinese water treatment plants are supposed to follow strict quality controls—stricter even than those for bottled mineral water. “Water treatment plants should have a comprehensive system to remove the algal pollution. Why did it suddenly fail? The authorities failed to respond to the issue—just like what we saw in the Gansu lead poisoning case.”
A Systemic Infrastructure Crisis
An independent environmental researcher based in China spoke to The Epoch Times on the condition of anonymity due to fear of the regime’s retaliation, and said that many rural and edge-of-city areas in China suffer from inadequate protection of water sources.He suggested that during the rainy season, animal waste, industrial runoff, and household garbage often seeps directly into water supplies. With outdated purification methods and deteriorating infrastructure, contaminants can end up flowing straight into people’s homes.
“This is not an isolated incident,” he said. “It’s a long-standing, systemic issue. Most municipal water companies are publicly funded, but local governments are broke. They’re struggling with outdated equipment, rising chemical costs, and unpaid staff. How can they guarantee clean drinking water for the [Chinese] people?”
He also criticized local officials for ignoring the declining condition of water facilities and turning a blind eye to illegal industrial discharges into water sources. “Even when citizens upload videos of black water or complain online, they’re often ignored,” he said. “This isn’t just a broken pipe. It’s a symptom of institutional failure.”
