On March 22, World Water Day, the Center for Public Nutrition and Development issued the country's first guideline for drinking water, which ranks China's drinking water according to the quality of water source. Mineral water from high altitude sources ranks first due to few contaminants and mineral content, such as water from Mount Yuzhu (6178m above sea level) in western China, which recently won first place in the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting. Other types of water ranked in the guideline include lower-altitude mineral water, river and lake water, and tap water.
"With growing health consciousness, the Chinese should go further to pursue better quality drinking water rather than merely quenching their thirst," said Li Fuxing, director of a drinking water research institute in Beijing. He explained that China has good drinking water available, and the guideline will help spread this knowledge to consumers.
Translated and summarized by Tong Jun and Lindsay Butt