Pollution of many of China's water sources has led to drinking water posing health risks. 

At a symposium on potable water safety and health on Monday a group of Chinese experts urged the government and enterprises to introduce more advanced technologies to protect people from polluted water.

The symposium is being held concurrently with a national water pollution prevention conference organized by the State Council.

The deterioration of the Chinese mainland water supply is a result of water sources being polluted to some extent. 

According to E Xueli, a researcher with the China Disease Prevention and Control Center, for economic and various other reasons over 90 percent of Chinese water treatment plants are using outdated technology. 

"These plants can handle physical and microbial pollution but not chemical contamination," he said.

"China's waterworks can only filter out 30 percent of the organic substances in the water treated," warned Wang Zhanshen, a professor with the Tsinghua University. "People drink the other 70 percent."

China must deal with potable water problems in a scientific and pragmatic way, spreading knowledge about healthy water and mobilizing society to promote water safety, Wang said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)