The China Environment Chamber of Commerce has issued a report that urges the country to act rapidly to mitigate increasing water pollution. The body, which operates under the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, estimated the economic costs of water pollution at around $38.4 billion annually. The chamber's secretary general, Luo Jianhua, told local press that many rivers and lakes are suffering severe pollution because of the common practice of discharging wastewater without treatment. The report cited data that puts the urban wastewater treatment rate in 2012 at 87%, but for smaller towns and villages the rate is much lower at just 30% and 8% respectively.
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