The affluent Jiangsu Province has introduced an even tougher regulation to curb water pollutants discharged into the Taihu Lake, a source with the provincial environmental protection authority said.

The new regulation, which is expected to take effect on January 1 next year, seriously demands that emissions of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), ammonia nitrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus in industrial waste water and sewage disposal must meet first class national standards.

The Taihua Lake area is home to six major industries that have caused most pollution in the lake, including dye, chemicals, paper-making, steel-making and food manufacturing plants.