The seven major rivers and 25 out of the 27 major lakes in China were polluted and some seriously, China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said Thursday.

The Haihe River in north China is the most polluted river in the country, followed by the Liaohe River, Huaihe River, Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River, said SEPA in a report on China's environment in 2004.

Of the 25 polluted lakes, the Taihu Lake, Chaohu Lake and Dianchi Lake were worst polluted, according to the report.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2005)