Normal water supplies to more than 200,000 people in central China have been cut due to pollution in a local river, state media reported Tuesday.
The water supply to more than 60,000 residents of Jianli county in Hubei province was cut Sunday after water in a branch of Hanjiang River turned red and foamy, the Chutian Metropolis Daily said.
Authorities in nearby Qianjiang county also ordered the suspension of water supplies from the river to local water processing plants, forcing nearly 200,000 residents to opt for underground and bottled water, it said.
The cause of the pollution was being investigated.
An environment agency official surnamed Peng said the problem could have been the result of a combination of rotting garbage in the water and a sudden rise temperatures in recent days.
China's rapidly growing economy has combined with lax environmental regulation to create severe water pollution.
More than 70 percent of the country's waterways and 90 percent of its underground water are polluted, according to previously released government figures.
