China is stepping up efforts to clean the country's lakes and rivers, saying it's just as important as clean air and soil.

China will have a new round of nationwide environmental inspection to secure the steady improvement in its protection of water quality, the country's Ministry of Ecology and Environment said  Thursday. 

Zhang Bo, director of the ministry's Department of Water Environment Treatment, said five of China's seven tough battles against environmental pollution are water related.

He said the goal by next year is to have good quality surface water in 70 percent of China's waterways.

Elsewhere, over 95 percent of the foul water in 36 major Chinese cities has been changed to clean water. But the ministry said there is still a long way to go.

“Water quality nationwide has improved steadily. The campaign had a good start in its first year,” Zhang said.

The next steps by the ministry include more foul water treatment, protection of drinking water sources, smart management of agricultural water use, and pollution control in two of China's most densely-populated areas－the Yangtze River valley and the Bohai Sea Rim.

“Unlike air pollution, water pollution is only seen in specific areas, but it is as severe as air pollution, sometimes even worse. Therefore, we should not relax despite our recent progress,” Zhang said.

China has tightened such efforts following the nation's newly-revised Water Pollution Prevention Law, which took effect a year ago.

The ministry said stricter measures will be adopted for better water treatment across the country, and that there will be no tolerance for rule breakers in the fight against environmental pollution.