2010 had barely begun when on Saturday January 2, reports surfaced of an oil leak in a pipeline operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The leak reportedly began on the previous Wednesday, December 30, as a result of a construction accident. Initial reports claimed that it had polluted a 20-mile stretch beginning at the Chishui tributary of the Wei River in the Shaanxi province, northern China.

A 700-strong team swooped in to clean up the spillage, which, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency, now totals 150,000 litres. But this team was not only brought in to rectify the damage done, but to prevent the water pollution from reaching the Yellow River.

The team has used floating damns and solidifying agents in this race against the clock to minimize the damage. It has been reported that the unusually cold weather the region is experiencing has also aided the clean-up operation. However today on January 4, it appears that the tireless efforts to save the Yellow River have not been enough. The state news agency reports that traces of the oil have been recovered from within the river itself. The latest updates say that traces of pollution have been detected at the water monitoring facilities of the Sanmenxia reservoir on the Yellow River since Sunday, January 3.

Three counties surrounding the Shaanxi province have been warned against using the river for water supplies and to use the underground water supplies already in place for these people instead.

The other underlying thread in this story has to be the background information which has resurfaced about the state of China’s waters. The past 30-plus years of surging economic growth and development has taken quite a toll on the nation. The Beijing AFP (Associated Foreign Press) news agency arm reports that most of China’s rivers and lakes are heavily polluted, and, according to government, over 200 million Chinese nationals do not have access to safe drinking water.

“The work on managing the pollution has shifted downstream and the frontline of this battle has been extended. The situation remains serious,” Jiang Jiemin, CNPC’s President and Spokesman told press today on his way to the site of the accident.

A gloomy first blog post, perhaps. But this is a critical news item which looks set to develop as reports of further pollution continue to trickle in.