Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- A Chinese farm admitted to dumping dead pigs into Huangpu River , which had about 6,000 bloated carcasses pulled from its water this week , state media reported . The labels in the ears of the pigs indicated Jiaxing City as their birthplace , according to Xinhua , the Chinese state-run news agency . The city is south of Shanghai , in the Zhejiang Province . Earlier , local Chinese media had suggested the dead pigs had come from the area with local officials blaming dumping on `` local pig farmers who lack awareness of laws and regulations . '' The city 's government said a total of 70,000 pigs died from `` crude raising techniques and extreme weather '' at the beginning of the year , according to Xinhua . But it also insisted that the collected corpses were disposed safely . The selling of diseased pigs appears to be a bigger problem in the area as on Wednesday , a court in Zhejiang Province , issued prison sentences for 46 people convicted of selling meat from diseased pigs , Xinhua said . The sentences ranged from six months to 6 and a half years in prison , the report said . Shanghai water concerns . The `` dead pig dumping scandal '' in Shanghai has been growing since Friday , Xinhua reported . Chinese officials have said they expect to find more carcasses in the river -- but they insist the Shanghai water is fine . The scandal has incredulous residents one-upping each other on the country 's popular microblog service , Sina Weibo . `` Since when is finding dead rotting pigs in a major river not a public health problem ? '' Weibo user , @ Muyunsanjun2011 , asked . `` Answer : When this happens in China . '' A report in the Shanghai Daily newspaper earlier Wednesday said that no pollution had been found in the river . `` Since apparently , the water has not been contaminated , big leaders , please go ahead and have the first drink , '' Weibo user , @ _Nina_Burbage quipped . However , a later water sample was found to contain a porcine circovirus , Xinhua said . The World Health Organization says there are two types of porcine circoviruses , but neither is known to cause disease in humans . An official from a Shanghai water plant was quoted in Xinhua saying , `` If the water is contaminated , we will put more the disinfectants and activated carbon to purify the water . '' 'Dead pigs all around ' Sanitation workers , clad in masks and plastic suits , have been fishing the bruised pig bodies surfacing in the Huangpu River . The pink , decomposing blobs have wreaked foul odors and alarmed residents . `` There were dead pigs all around and they really stunk , '' one local resident told CNN . `` Of course , we 're worried , but what can you do about it ? It 's water that we have to drink and use . '' If the water treatment process is very effective and can handle the sudden glut of contaminants , it 's possible to minimize the impact , said Julian Fyfe , a senior research consultant specializing in water quality at the University of Technology Sydney . However , `` most treatment plants would not be designed to accommodate that level of shock loading . It 's such an unusual event , '' he added . Fyfe spoke in general terms about water quality issues , as he is not involved with Shanghai 's water treatment . `` If they are chlorinating heavily , which a lot of places may do , especially if they 've got a very polluted water body to start with , then the effects could potentially be small , '' Fyfe said . Pig corpses that have been in the water for days would leak blood , intestinal fluids and other pollutants , which could alter the taste and color of tap water . Many residents have begun drinking bottled water due to fears of contamination , according to the Global Times , a Chinese newspaper . Ripe for satire . The agricultural commission in China said it had tested organ samples from the pigs and the results suggested the animals had contracted a porcine circovirus . On Tuesday , national officials acknowledged the pig incident in a press conference Tuesday . `` According to monitoring statistics , there 's no evidence to show that there 's an outbreak of any major animal epidemics , '' said Chen Xiaohua , the national vice minister of agriculture . `` But in the meantime , the incident shows how we need to improve our work in the future . '' The situation appeared ripe for satire . A movie poster for `` Life of Pi '' was doctored and replaced with `` Life of Pigs , '' with the main character 's boat filled with dead pigs , and the water dotted with the bruised corpses . One weibo user , @ Fujiadiandianxiaoya , joked : `` I finally figured out why drinking boiled water makes me gain weight -- because it is in fact pork soup ! '' Local authorities say they 're looking into how the pigs ended up in the river . CNN 's Madison Park and Dayu Zhang reported from Hong Kong ; CNN 's Josh Levs reported from Atlanta . CNN 's David McKenzie and Elizabeth Joseph contributed to this report .
NEW : Chinese media say a pig farm admits to dumping pigs into Huangpu River . A porcine circovirus is found in a water sample . Weibo users voice skepticism over assurances of water safety .