Hundreds of thousands used 'lethal' water

International Herald Tribune: "Chinese and foreign experts involved in major water supply projects in
China's industrial northeastern provinces believe the spill will speed
efforts to finish two major projects intended to improve the quality of
running water to communities near the Songhua River. 
An Asian Development Bank project officer, Sangay Penjor, said Tuesday
that a $400 million project to pipe water 175 kilometers to Harbin from
a new dam on the Lalin River would give the city an alternative water
supply to the heavily polluted Songhua. 
"The Songhua is one of the most polluted among the seven major rivers
of China," Penjor said in a telephone interview from Wuhan, China.
"Basically, the quality of the water in Lalin River is pristine
according to Chinese water quality standards." 
Penjor said this project, originally scheduled to be finished in 2007, should be finished by midway next year. 
Experts expect a $232 million project to treat waste discharged into
the Songhua from Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, would
improve water quality in the river. 
Even before the benzene spill, water quality in the Songhua was considered unsuitable for domestic consumption.