英闻天下——83 Tap Water Safe to Drink: Beijing Waterworks

 　　The Beijing Waterworks Group, the company responsible for tap water supply in the capital, says starting from next week, the data on tap water quality will be available on the company's website.

 

　　Major indexes, including degrees of color, turbidity¹ and remains² of disinfectant will be put up online.

 

　　The data will be updated once every three months.

 

　　The announcement comes amid public concerns over a media report saying a Beijing couple, who are also water experts, stopped drinking tap water 20 years ago.

 

　　The wife, Zhao Feihong is a researcher with Beijing Healthcare Association's Drinking Water Committee.

 

　　Zhao says she spends over 800 yuan on water each month, as she is using different types of bottle water for cooking and drinking.

 

　　"Personally, I want to set my living standard higher and be healthier. I have the skills and technology to test the water and pick the one I prefer to use. So it is purely³ a personal choice, it is not something that can be put into common practice. "

 

　　The Beijing Water Group released a statement on Monday, saying the capital's tap water is up to the 106 national standards and is safe to use.

 

　　It says a three-tier quality control program is used to monitor the water condition. Water running at the production line is checked every half an hour.

 

　　Li Aiwu, the Director of Water Quality Control Center of the Beijing Waterworks, says as a large percent of tap water comes from underground, the standard set for nitrate monitoring in Beijing is even higher than the national standard.

 

　　"Since 40 percent of the tap water in Beijing is pumped from underground, there is nitrate in the water. According to national standard, each liter of water is allowed to contain 10 milligram of nitrate. And for underground water, the standard is 20 milligram. But we are still using the 10 milligram criteria⁴. "

 

　　High nitrate levels in water may cause diseases to infants below six months.

 

　　Liang Li, the spokesperson of the Beijing Waterworks, says the company is also working on pipeline⁵ renovation⁶ to prevent secondary pollution.

 

　　"We have been renovating⁷ the old pipelines⁸ over the years. Over 200 to 300 kilometers of pipelines have been renovated⁹ each year. Based on government approval, we will upgrade all the old network in five phases."

 

　　It is estimated over 700 million yuan have already been put into the city's water supply network renovation.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Robert Costello.

1 turbidity   

混浊，混乱； 混浊度； 浊度

参考例句：

• Turbidity is predominantly made colloids. 浊度主要是由胶体物质造成的。
• What do turbidity currents result from? 混浊流是怎么引起的呢？

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

4 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

5 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

6 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

7 renovating   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The increased production was largely attained by renovating old orchards and vineyards. 通过更新老果园和葡萄园，使生产大大增加。
• Renovating that house will cost you a pretty penny. 为了整修那所房子，你得花很多钱。

8 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

9 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。