Outrage Grows as Chinese Netizens Report Sewage-Like Tap Water in Several Provinces

Chinese netizens shared images and videos of allegedly contaminated tap water in several provinces in July 2025. Video screenshot by The Epoch Times

In the past week, residents across multiple provinces in China have taken to social media to report alarming conditions in their tap water—ranging from foul, sewage-like odors to discoloration and oily textures.

Video footage and photos shared online show murky yellow or black water flowing from kitchen faucets, with some describing the smell and appearance as resembling diesel and coffee. The Chinese edition of The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet NTD captured footage and images from Chinese social media.

The uproar began in Hangzhou, China, where widespread reports of foul-smelling tap water prompted residents to queue at local water resource sites with buckets and jugs in hand on July 21. While local authorities have issued repeated assurances that the water meets safety standards, public skepticism remains high.

“Who actually believes these reports?” one user wrote on Chinese social media. “The moment you turn on the tap, it smells like sewage.”

As video footage documenting the dirty tap water began circulating on Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin—China’s version of TikTok—WeChat, and Xiaohongshu (RedNote), many were quickly deleted, shadow-banned, or had their reach limited by the Chinese Communist Party’s stringent censorship regime.

Facing censorship at home, Chinese citizens have increasingly turned to overseas platforms such as X and Telegram to share their concerns.

Some netizens criticized the regime, suggesting that its apparent indifference stems from the fact that high-level officials rely on a separate, exclusive supply of purified water, which is a part of the regime’s “tegong” system—a long-standing practice of providing special supplies of necessities to the elite from sources that are unavailable to the Chinese public.

Contamination Spreads Beyond Hangzhou

What began as a local phenomenon in Hangzhou quickly evolved into a nationwide concern. Within days, Chinese netizens in at least six other provinces—including Guangdong, Chongqing, and Hubei—posted similar complaints on social media platforms.

In rural areas near the city of Yangjiang in Guangdong Province, locals reported that the nearby river water was so polluted that “even the livestock would not drink it.” In Xu Dong village, also in Guangdong, residents shared footage of yellow tap water and described a strong chemical odor.

In Chongqing’s Dianjiang County, one viral video posted on July 19 shows black water gushing from a tap for several minutes. The resident who filmed it claimed that it was not a new issue.

“This has been happening for years, and no one ever does anything about it,” he said.

Further complaints of dirty or foul-smelling water have also surfaced in Suixian County, Hubei Province; Bozhou, Anhui Province; various towns in Fujian Province; and Binyang County, Guangxi Province. Descriptions range from “worse than ditch water” to “undrinkable.” Residents called on local water suppliers to explain the cause of the contamination.

Discrepancies in Official Narrative

In Hangzhou, municipal government officials have blamed the smell on a natural phenomenon—the anaerobic breakdown of algae, producing sulfur compounds. Nevertheless, many remain unconvinced.

“Algal blooms happen almost every year,” said a biological sciences graduate from Zhejiang University, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Why is it only this year that the water smells like feces?”

He said Chinese water treatment plants are supposed to follow strict quality controls—stricter even than those for bottled mineral water.

“Water treatment plants should have a comprehensive system to remove the algal pollution. Why did it suddenly fail? The authorities failed to respond to the issue—just like what we saw in the Gansu lead poisoning case,” he said.

Earlier this month, more than 230 children and teachers in a kindergarten in Gansu, China, were found with dangerously high levels of lead poisoning in their blood. However, the officials’ response was marred by significant discrepancies in blood test results and the censorship of parents’ complaints on social media.

A Systemic Infrastructure Crisis

An independent environmental researcher based in China spoke to The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity due to fear of the regime’s retaliation and said many rural and edge-of-city areas in China suffer from inadequate protection of water sources.

He suggested that during the rainy season, animal waste, industrial runoff, and household garbage often seep directly into water supplies. With outdated purification methods and deteriorating infrastructure, contaminants can end up flowing straight into people’s homes.

“This is not an isolated incident,” he said. “It’s a long-standing, systemic issue. Most municipal water companies are publicly funded, but local governments are broke. They’re struggling with outdated equipment, rising chemical costs, and unpaid staff. How can they guarantee clean drinking water for the [Chinese] people?”

He also criticized local officials for ignoring the declining condition of water facilities and turning a blind eye to illegal industrial discharges into water sources.

“Even when citizens upload videos of black water or complain online, they’re often ignored,” he said. “This isn’t just a broken pipe. It’s a symptom of institutional failure.”

Xin Ling contributed to this report.