The results of a toxicity test that should define the nature of the aquatic fungus detected recently at a water supply source in Mudanjiang City, northeast China, will be known in early March, a local health official said on Saturday.

The test is being conducted by experts at the disease control and prevention center based in Harbin, capital of the Heilongjiang Province which the city also belongs to, and will take a few days, said Sun Xude, a disease prevention official in Mudanjiang.

The aquatic fungus was found to have blocked a water supply source in Hailang River, a tributary of the Mudanjiang River, on February 19.

By Saturday, the incident had not caused the water supply to be cut off and the local health authorities had received no report of suspected intestinal inflammation cases from citizens who drink the water, said Yu Qi, a disease prevention official in Mudanjiang.

The Mudanjiang city government has vowed to intensify efforts to protect its water supply source as the discharge of industrial and household waste water into the river by the neighboring city of Hailin has been blamed for the mass growth of the fungus.

To prevent waste water from Hailin and neighboring Ning'an City,the city of Mudanjiang will most probably consider a centralized disposal of sewage water from these two cities, said Wang Shuyin, a local government spokesman.

The city might also consider building new sewage treatment plants in Ning'an and Hailin, Wang told Xinhua in an interview. "But this is far too costly and less feasible."

He also mentioned a likely proposal to divert quality, pollution-free water from Changting Township in Hailin city, at least 130 kilometers from Mudanjiang.

"But a huge project like that will cost 2.6 billion yuan (US$325 million) and I don't think we can afford it," he added.

The provincial environment watchdog has ordered an overhaul of all riverside enterprises and immediate shutdown of potential polluters, said Li Jingbin, vice director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Environment Protection Bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2006)