SHANGHAI - In the area of waste water treatment, no country other than China has witnessed such rapid environmental progress - especially considering the nation's vast territory - yet much more effort will be required, said a water utility executive.

"The Chinese government has realized that rapid industrialization and urbanization has brought with it serious water pollution, and it has been quick to respond to such challenges by launching massive projects, equipping the nation's water facilities with the latest technologies and equipment," Antoine Frerot, CEO of Veolia Environment, told China Business Weekly.

"China began to realize the threat of industrial waste water 10 years ago, and had, so far, partly solved the problem," he said.