Miracle water causes a frenzy, but leaves locals thirsty_美文

Miracle water causes a frenzy, but leaves locals thirsty

In an attempt to disprove the rumor and stop people from visiting the site, local officials took a sample of spring water to the center for disease control and prevention in Wenling for testing.

According to results of the test released on Tuesday, the spring water failed to even meet the standard for drinking water. The water contains excessive aerobic bacterial and coliform bacteria.

"We're trying to guide people with scientific knowledge and healthcare advice to prevent them from blindly following the trend," said Wang Huaqi, an office worker in the village.

Experts have suggested that the frequency of this type of incident, where people jump on the bandwagon following a rumor, could be prevented with more efforts from local governments to provide scientific information to the public.

"These incidents are mostly caused by people who lack the ability to distinguish the accuracy of rumors, and society hasn't offered enough opportunities to these people to gain scientific knowledge," said Zhou Baohua, an associate professor and research fellow at the Center for Information and Communication Studies at Fudan University.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.