The Province also ordered another 30 major enterprises to establish waste water treatment facilities to control waste water by the end of 1996. The Yangtze River receives the largest quantity of waste water in China at 40 million tons per day, accounting for 41 percent of the country's total waste water discharge. While the water quality in the River's mainstream is slightly better than that in its branches, the drinking water supplies in the nearby cities are continuously polluted. Only 42 percent of Yangtze's water meets national standards for potable water supply sources. The primary pollutants are ammonia nitrogen, potassium permanganate and volatile phenols.
Some sections suffer from a high copper and arsenic index.
The water quality of the Pearl River Basin is often considered to be not as severe as the others. Major pollutants include ammonia nitrogen, potassium permanganate and arsenic. The Chinese government organized an emergency response group to address possible poisoning. After intensive investigation, however, the concentration of arsenic in the water was found to be only half of the national limit. Y ellow River Basin Seven percent of the Yellow River's main stream water quality meets national standards.