Ministry of Ecology and Environment: Establish a list of black and smelly water bodies in county towns before the end of the year. Discover one, remove one.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment held its regular press conference for June today, addressing the issue of foul-smelling water in county towns and urban-rural interface areas. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, in coordination with relevant departments, has formulated policies to guide local authorities in advancing the treatment of foul-smelling water in county towns from the aspects of investigation, treatment, and management. Jiang Huohua, Director of the Water Ecology Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, stated that local authorities have been conducting thorough investigations of foul-smelling water in county towns, including rivers, ditches, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds within the built-up areas of county towns. Based on the main sources of pollution, the responsible departments for treatment have been identified, and a list of foul-smelling water bodies in county towns will be established by the end of this year. While significant progress has been made in the treatment of foul-smelling water in urban areas in recent years, the issue remains prominent in certain areas such as county towns and urban-rural interface areas, particularly in tributaries and ponds. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment is guiding local authorities to learn from the experience of treating foul-smelling water in cities, with a focus on improving the collection and treatment of domestic wastewater to fundamentally eliminate foul odors. Regular assessments will also be conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the reporting and treatment of foul-smelling water bodies in each region to ensure accountability. Monitoring of water quality for treated foul-smelling water bodies will be intensified to prevent a recurrence of foul odors. Technologies such as video surveillance, micro-monitoring devices, drones, and satellite remote sensing will be encouraged to accurately identify and address prominent issues in order to achieve a comprehensive treatment approach.