First there was the Harbin chemical spill. And now, Guangzhou’s famously pristine and delicious drinking water is under threat as toxic cadmium dumped by a state-owned factory drifts toward the city.

The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou was ordered to prepare to start emergency plans to ensure safe drinking water supplies as a toxic cadmium slick approached the city of 10 million residents. The local Guangdong provincial government issued the order to Guangzhou and neighbouring Foshan city, the Xinhua news agency said.

The incident follows a chemical spill in a river in northeast China last month that left millions without water for four days, highlighting the seriousness of water pollution in China and raising questions about Beijing’s ability to handle its rapid pace of development.

The latest toxic slick was caused by an excessive discharge of cadmium from a state-owned smelting works in the Beijiang river, a major source of drinking water for cities in the northern part of Guangdong, Xinhua said on Wednesday.

The Beijiang runs into the Pearl river which flows through Guangzhou.

Waste discharges increased the volume of cadmium in the Beijiang at Shaoguan city to nearly 10 times above safety levels, “seriously endangering” the safety of water downstream, Xinhua cited the local government saying.

It did not say when the discharge occurred, but provincial environmental officials were sent to the area Sunday, Xinhua said.

Local governments have set up monitoring posts along the Beijiang river to check water quality, it said.

Relax, you’re in good hands. Still, I’d go for the bottled stuff, at least for the time being.