Recent days, due to the collapse of the tailings dam storage area of an upstream chemical company, the Liuzhou River in Guangxi has been contaminated with heavy metal antimony. Despite official claims of urgent handling and assurances of normal water quality in local tap water, residents have been complaining of a three-day water shutdown, relying on purchasing bottled mineral water for their daily needs. Some residents also revealed that the river water has been contaminated since the 20th of the month.
According to a situation report by the Liuzhou Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau on June 24th, a tailings dam storage area in Rongshui Miaozu Autonomous County collapsed due to heavy rainfall erosion, causing abnormal antimony concentrations in the Duxujiang, Rongjiang, and Liujiang rivers as a result of heavy rainfall from Guizhou Province. Liuzhou has initiated a Level Three emergency response.
The report also stated, “Currently, the water quality of water plants in urban areas and counties meets the sanitary standards for drinking water. The general public should not panic… Do not believe rumors, do not spread rumors.”
Public records show that Duxujiang is the upper reaches of the Liujiang, a tributary of the mainstem of the Xijiang River in the Pearl River system. It originates in Dushan County, Guizhou Province, flows through Sandu County, Rongjiang County, and Congjiang County, enters Guangxi’s Sanjiang County at the Xunjiang (formerly Yih River) mouth, and enters the main stream of the Liujiang River in the Rongjiang section. It has a total length of 310 kilometers and has historically been a key water transportation hub between Guizhou and Guangxi provinces.
Rongjiang, part of the Pearl River Basin, is a sub-basin of the Xijiang River System, constituting the upper reaches of the Liujiang River and the downstream segment of the traditional Liujing section. It flows through Sanjiang County, Rongshui County, and Rong’an County.
Liujiang is the second-largest tributary of the Xijiang River in the Pearl River Basin, serving as a crucial waterway for water transportation between Guizhou and Guangxi provinces. The main stream of the Liujiang River traditionally has three segments, known as Duxujiang in Guizhou Province and Rongjiang and Liujiang upon entry into Guangxi.
Netizens from the Rongjiang area shared videos revealing that the river had been contaminated on June 20th, yet the official notification only came on June 24th.
Some residents also questioned, “If the water is safe, then why have we been without water for three days already?”
A resident from Liuzhou, Mr. Zhu, stated, “How many areas in Liuzhou have been experiencing water shortages? Xiangsong Nodingshan and Xiangyuandadi have been without water for three days already.”
Others mentioned receiving notices of water supply suspension for a week. Residents have been relying on water trucks for basic needs, with limited water for toilet use only. Some unaware individuals even used firefighting water for consumption, not realizing it’s not safe.
As reported by The Xiaoxiang Morning Post on June 25th, abnormal levels of magnesium were detected upstream in Liuzhou, prompting city residents to purchase large quantities of bottled water. Many supermarkets have sold out of bottled water.
Local residents stressed in the comments section, “We have indeed been without water for three days, reliant on water trucks with limited supply for basic needs. It’s been three days without showers, and we have to buy water for cooking and drinking.”
Some netizens sarcastically remarked, “Great, now with cadmium in Hunan and antimony in Guangxi, we’ve got the full set of the periodic table for purification to become superhumans!”
Public information indicates that antimony possesses chronic toxicity and carcinogenic properties. Symptoms of acute antimony poisoning can cause myocarditis, and inhalation or skin contact with antimony can lead to various damages such as headaches, vomiting, liver and kidney damage, and even death.
In the comments section, residents queried the authorities, “Can we trust them? Chronic toxicity and carcinogenic effects, shouldn’t we be worried? How much worse could it get? Why are polluting enterprises located near rivers in the upstream area? Leakage of toxic and carcinogenic substances upon rainy days doesn’t meet environmental protection standards, does it?”
A lady from the surrounding area of Yufeng Mountain in Liuzhou mentioned, “I’ve been without water for two consecutive days. When a little came today, it was still black, and I dared not use it.”
Guangxi is one of mainland China’s fourteen key provinces for heavy metal pollution control. Last month, the region launched a special action to investigate pollution problems over the past decade. In 2012, the Longjiang River suffered severe cadmium contamination with about 20 tons leaking, affecting a 300-kilometer stretch of the river, reaching levels over 80 times the limit. In 2013, the Hejiang River experienced cadmium and thallium exceeding standards, affecting a 110-kilometer section.