A paper mill in Chongqing faces the prospect of closure next year if it continues to fail to clean up its waste water as requested by the local authorities, reported China Daily. Chongqing Hengfeng Paper Co in Liangping county discharges tons of polluted water into Changshou Lake, a major source of drinking water for Changshou district.

The polluted waste industrial water was held to have been held partially responsible for the death of 15,000 kg of fish in the lake earlier this month.

The municipal government has set a March 2010 deadline for polluters to bring their processes up to standard, or face closure. The mill, which has been the target of many pollution complaints since 2006, has the capacity to produce 15,000 tons of paper a day.