Water Is Polluted in More Than 80% of Chinese Wells

More than 80% of underground wells tested in China were found to be polluted to the point of being unfit for drinking or bathing, according to new statistics.

While cities often depend upon deeper reservoirs, small towns and villages often rely on the kinds of shallow wells like the 2,103 tested in the research, the New York Times reports.

These water sources are heavily contaminated by industrial and agricultural runoff, the report found. A third of the wells were rated Grade 4, meaning the water was fit only for industrial use; additionally, nearly half were rated Grade 5, which is even worse.

[NYT]