According to Surface Water Environment Quality Standards of China, the water quality is categorized as follows:
Grade I: Source water and national nature reserve; Grade II: Drinking water and surface water source primary protection zone; Grade III: Drinking water and surface water source secondary protection zone; Grad IV: Industrial water use and recreational water use; Grade V: Agricultural water use and General landscape requirements.
Low quality surface water refers to surface water worse than Grade V.
The surveyed rivers include: overall water quality of major rivers in the seven major river basins, rivers in Zhejiang and Fujian, rivers in the northwest, and rivers in the southwest.
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Surface water quality share in China 2018-2024, by level
In 2024, around ** percent of the river water samples across China had been categorized as Grade II, which serves mainly as drinking water and belongs to surface water source primary protection zone in China.
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Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China). (June 4, 2025). Average surface water quality in China in 2018 and 2024, by quality [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved August 03, 2026, from /statistics/1065058/china-share-of-river-water-quality-across-the-country/
Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China). "Average surface water quality in China in 2018 and 2024, by quality." Chart. June 4, 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed August 03, 2026. /statistics/1065058/china-share-of-river-water-quality-across-the-country/
Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China). (2025). Average surface water quality in China in 2018 and 2024, by quality. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: August 03, 2026. /statistics/1065058/china-share-of-river-water-quality-across-the-country/
Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China). "Average Surface Water Quality in China in 2018 and 2024, by Quality." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 4 Jun 2025, /statistics/1065058/china-share-of-river-water-quality-across-the-country/
Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China), Average surface water quality in China in 2018 and 2024, by quality ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1065058/china-share-of-river-water-quality-across-the-country/ (last visited August 03, 2026)
Average surface water quality in China in 2018 and 2024, by quality [Graph], Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China), June 4, 2025. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1065058/china-share-of-river-water-quality-across-the-country/
