(NaturalNews) Water is a precious commodity and one that is necessary for life. Recently, the residents of a Chinese village were shocked and disturbed to discover the reason behind the change in the way their water tasted. Much to their horror, these villagers realized that dead and rotting animals were dumped into the river that is their only source of fresh and potable water. Authorities are still hunting down the culprits of this heinous and potentially deadly crime.

China's Fujian province, located in the southeastern portion of the country, is home to Jinli, a rural village. Resident Shuang Hsu, aged 59, stated that villagers noticed that their water had a strange taste, but they did not realize the cause behind the occurrence. Eventually, health officials were notified and urged to come out to the river to perform tests so they could determine the reason behind the strange taste.

The sanitation department speaks out

Once the sanitation department arrived at the scene of the river, the reason behind the odd taste of its water was uncovered. An awful sight and smell awaited the arrival of the sanitation officials -- more than 55 animals carcasses in various stages of decomposition were discovered. Geese, sheep and pigs were all dumped by farmers in the river, though officials are not sure who exactly is responsible.

The dumping of unwanted animals

Once sanitation department officials discovered the animals dumped in the river, they wondered what could prompt such an action. It was soon noticed that many of the animals were killed after birth due to defects. Others were killed because of illness that they contracted later in their lives. The farmers then dumped the carcasses in the river that the villagers rely on as their source of water.

Procedures are in place for disposal of dead animals

The sanitation spokesman outlined the proper procedure that is to be followed when disposing of dead animals. In most cases, this means that their bodies are buried far under the ground. This helps reduce the likelihood of contamination as well as the spread of disease via groundwater and other crucial sources of water.

Culprits are being sought

The spokesman noted that the farmers who did the dumping of these animals were not only in flagrant abuse of those rules that are meant to protect the lives of the people who rely on the water; they put the lives of everyone who lives on or near the river in danger. Because the communities near the river are small and close knit, sanitation officials are confident that the farmers who are responsible will be found. When their names come to light, they will be punished appropriately.

Dire situation could have been much worse

Though no one has been sickened as a result of this illegal dumping, it is an occurrence that is happening more often lately. Health officials are aghast at the implications if this type of behavior continues unabated. They note that it is an epidemic whose effects can quickly spiral out of control. The very young and the very old as well as those people who have compromised immune systems are typically the ones who are hardest hit by incidents such as these.

Sources:

http://www.mirror.co.uk

http://www.aljazeera.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk