BEIJING - China's State Council, or Cabinet, on Thursday released a set of regulations that provide for lawful protection of water resources and pollution treatment in regions surrounding Taihu Lake, China's second-largest fresh water lake.

According to the rules, entitled "Regulations on the Management of Taihu Area," sewage discharge facilities, garbage dumps and stockhouses of poisonous and harmful materials are not allowed within reserve areas with drinking water sources, and those already located there should be closed or dismantled.

The areas concerned in the rules include part of East China's Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai that are south of the Yangtze River.

Relevant county-level governments should also arrange personnel to inspect reserve areas on a regular basis and monitor the quality and quantity of local drinking water reserves.

In addition, county-level governments are responsible for planting trees around the lake to protect the local environment, according to the regulations, and that the environmental protection results for the lake area will be incorporated into the work evaluation of local governments.

The rules will take effect November 1.