French utility blamed for water pollution in NW China

Chinese authorities blamed French utility Veolia Environnement (VIE.EPA) for dangerous levels of benzene in the tap water in the northwestern city of Lanzhou, Reuters reported, citing state media on Wednesday. Benzene, a cancer-inducing chemical, had been found in tap water supplied by the firm at 20 times above national safety levels, forcing the city to turn off supplies in one district and warn other residents not to drink tap water for the next 24 hours. China National Radio quoted a Lanzhou government spokesman saying “there were supervision problems within Veolia Water Company related to water quality and safety.”