A bird's-eye view of Taihu Lake in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Taihu Lake, an important water source of Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province, saw a decline of 13.7 percent from 2022 in average density of blue-green algae, the lowest over the last 10 years, local media outlets reported on Dec 4.
In 2007, a severe outbreak of blue-green algae occurred in the lake, leaving 1 million people without drinking water and choked by the stench of rotting plants and fish.
Pleasant environment of Taihu Lake in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
The water conservancy project of transferring Yangtze River water to Taihu Lake was one of the measures adopted by the then local authorities to treat the pollution.
The water conservancy project for 2023 recently kicked off. "This year marks the 21st year of the project, which plays a crucial role in improving the lake's self-purification ability and ensuring a safe water environment," said Zhang Xiaowen of the relevant government department.
Taihu Lake in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Monitoring results show that from 2009 to 2020 some abnormal water was found in summer in the lake while after 2021, that phenomenon had reduced significantly. This year no abnormal water has been discovered, the first "clean slate" for the past 16 years.
