25% of China's Surface Water too Toxic to use for Anything

More revelations of the great Chinese miracle! According to ENN:

Almost a quarter of China's surface water remains so polluted that it is unfit even for industrial use, while less than half of total supplies are drinkable, data from the environment watchdog showed on Monday.

Inspectors from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection tested water samples from the country's major rivers and lakes in the first half of the year and declared just 49.3 percent to be safe for drinking, up from 48 percent last year, the ministry said in a notice posted on its website (www.mep.gov.cn).

China classifies its water supplies using six grades, with the first three grades considered safe for drinking and bathing.

China's industrial policies have always favored large scale growth at the expense of the environment and to the health of its populace.  Is there another country in the world, where more than 50% of surface water is so polluted that it unusable for human consumption?  These statistics, if even partially correct, indicate that the long term viability of the Chinese state is an illusion.   With fresh water supplies dwindling across the globe, it is undeniable that shortages of potable water will pose severe constraints on both the health of the average Chinese person and long term growth possibilities.