BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Governments across China will launch inspections to find out how the environment around sources of drinking water has been protected, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said Sunday.

The first round of inspections will target at 1,586 water sources and check safety conditions of drinking water.

The public is encouraged to report problems of drinking water sources through telephone or the internet, said the ministry.

The conservation of drinking water sources is listed among the priorities in China's water pollution control for 2018.

By the end of 2017, 97.7 percent of cities at the prefecture level and above had set up signs and notices to bring attention to drinking water sources, according to the ministry.

The government has passed its toughest-ever environmental protection law, and introduced a "river chief" system to protect water resources.