Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co has reportedly given up plans to exploit water resources on the Tibet plateau in part due to concerns about the water quality there. Experts and officials reassured the public about the quality of water in Tibet, but acknowledged that there may be other factors, such as high transportation costs, that hinder companies from dipping a toe in the mineral water industry in Tibet.
The snowcapped peaks of the mountains in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region are perceived as a pure source of water that can command premium prices from consumers who are concerned about water pollution in the rest of the country.
The situation has driven an influx of companies to the region - hoping to tap local water resources. But not Zong Qinghou, a multibillionaire soft drink tycoon who reportedly decided to swim against the current.
Zong, the founder of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co, said that the company has aborted plans to exploit water from Tibet's mountain glaciers, China Business Journal reported over the weekend.
Zong attributed the decision in part to being unable to find suitable water resources there.
"Our [technical] staff climbed a very high mountain to get water samples for testing. But we were disappointed by the results, which showed a very high concentration of heavy metals in the water," Zong was quoted as saying in the media report.
Wahaha Group refused to comment on the report when contacted by the Global Times on Tuesday, only saying that they primarily run beverage businesses in Lhasa, the region's capital.
No need to worry
Water from the Tibet plateau does possess higher levels of heavy metals than water in other areas, experts said.
For instance, the concentration of arsenic in one water source in Tibet exceeds the national standards for drinking water, said a Beijing-based independent expert surnamed Zhang.
"However, [the arsenic] was naturally formed and technology can help lower the concentration," Zhang told the Global Times on Monday. "Overall, the water in Tibet is very clean."
According to a report issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in November 2015, major lakes on the Tibet plateau all meet the first-class national standard for the environmental quality of surface water, which means the water in those lakes is unpolluted and drinkable after a simple filtering process.
And there are abundant high-quality water resources in Tibet, an official from the region's water resources department, who asked not to be named, told the Global Times on Monday.
Every year, 8 billion tons of water gets added to Tibet's lakes, primarily from rainfall, according to the CAS report. Melting snowcaps resulting from global warming also contribute to the increase.
Tibet 5100 Water Resources Holdings is also confident about the water in Tibet. Mineral water sourced from Tibet is rich in microelements and minerals that provide health benefits, Wang Keqin, the company's executive director, told the Global Times on Monday.
