Recently, in several counties and cities in Hubei province, including Yichang and Jingzhou, there has been a persistent strange odor in the tap water, affecting the normal lives of the residents. The official response stated that an increased amount of chlorine was added, which led to the water generating the odor due to an excessive amount of chlorine, sparking skepticism among netizens.
On February 2nd, many residents of Yichang and Jingzhou posted online, expressing that tap water in Shashi District of Jingzhou emitted a foul smell and the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level of the drinking water was measured at 4 (the TDS value for pure water is 0). The photos posted by these netizens showed that the tap water had a slight yellowish tint.
Another netizen mentioned that during the Lunar New Year period, similar issues were observed along the Yangtze River from Yidu to Jianli City (administered by Jingzhou).
According to reports from Cover News, several citizens posted on social media platforms revealing that tap water in Zhijiang City (administered by Yichang), Shashi District of Jingzhou, Shishou City (administered by Jingzhou), and Jianli City (administered by Jingzhou) in Hubei segment of the Yangtze River all displayed the aforementioned problems.
A resident of Shashi District in Jingzhou, Ms. Li, mentioned during an interview that the tap water in her home started to have a fishy smell since February 1st. She said, “The smell is not very obvious with cold water, but it is more prominent with hot water and during showers, it’s pungent. I am currently hesitant to bathe my child. Adults haven’t experienced any skin discomfort during showers.”
Mr. Wang, a resident of Zhijiang City (administered by Yichang), also stated that the tap water in his home not only had a slight yellow color but also emitted a pungent odor, which has been ongoing for two days. When relatives and friends visited for the New Year, they had to serve bottled water as guests as “the water company feedback claimed that the water quality is normal.”
On the afternoon of February 2nd, a reporter from Cover News contacted the water companies of Zhijiang City and Jingzhou City. The staff of both companies mentioned that due to excessive nitrogen elements in the water source area, the water group had increased the chlorine element dosage, resulting in the water generating the odor from excess chlorine. Currently, all indicators are normal. They also stated that there were no reports of sewage discharge. Additionally, the reporter tried to reach the environmental protection department of Jingzhou City and the water department of Shishou City but received no response.
The official response has raised doubts online. Many netizens commented, “Is it enough for them to claim the water is qualified? Where are the regulatory departments?” “The response is too sophisticated, as expected.” “Deceptive!”
A netizen claiming to be an “expert” explained, “The main reason is the increase in chlorine, which made the water more acidic. Deposits such as scale and calcifications inside the old water pipes have been dissolved and peeled off bit by bit under the strong acid, resulting in turbid water entering households, some scaly deposits contain organic matter, which, when encountering acid, leads to odor. Organic matter often includes microorganisms that have accumulated in the water for many years. Under normal circumstances, under the continuous action of strong acid water, it takes several months for the old scale in the water pipes to be completely discharged.”
However, some netizens questioned, “Why the increase in chlorine these past few days as opposed to normal days?” “The key point is that these areas are all along the Yangtze River, and it’s not water from just one water plant. It can’t be that so many water plants have all increased chlorine dosage, haha, what a far-fetched reason, if there’s sewage discharge, it’s just sewage discharge.”
Another netizen expressed, “The relevant regulatory departments should respond to the public.” “If the phone is not answered, what if they give the wrong information.”
An informed netizen revealed, “The recent water issue in our area is caused by unlawful sewage discharge from a chemical plant in Zhijiang under the jurisdiction of Yichang upstream. It’s not at all due to an excess of disinfectant.”
This situation has raised concerns among the residents about the safety and quality of their tap water, generating discussions and calls for clearer explanations and actions from the authorities to address the issue promptly and ensure the well-being of the community.