Authorities in east China's Jiangxi Province have blamed a chemical plant for causing cadmium pollution in a scenic lake and disrupting water supply to about 20,000 people.
The environmental protection department of Jiangxi said the factory had been secretly continuing production after being closed in March, dumping untreated water into the Xiannv Lake, a major water source of Xinyu, an industrial city of 1.1 million people.
On April 5, discovery of excessive cadmium in the lake paralysed a water plant that draws water from the lake. Officials said water used by 20,000 residents had been affected, but another water plant was later activated to ensure basic water supply.
The factory's discharge pipelines had been sealed and its legal representative had been put under police custody, the department said.
