随着《水污染防治法》的历次修改，关于政府环境责任规定的法条内容逐渐清晰明确、数量逐次增加：1984年制定、1996年修正案均未提到政府应该为环境治理负责；2008年修正案第四条首次明确政府环境责任，第五条提出水环境目标责任制和考核评价制度；2017年最新修正案，第四条将政府环境责任的承担主体扩大到地方各级人民政府；第五条新增关于“河长制”的规定；第十八条新增人大及其常委会为法定监督主体。然而现实中依旧发生了令人痛心的水污染事件，如2010年紫金矿业事件、2014年江苏靖江水污染事件，这些重大的水污染事件影响着民众的饮用水安全，危害大众的身体健康。不过，政府仍在不断地努力，江苏无锡市人民政府为了解决太湖蓝藻事件，从实践中提出了党政干部负责水资源治理效果的“河长制”。通过10年的治理实践，“河长制”在全国广泛推广，各地已出现了健康河流的雏形，取得了良好的成效。但是，仅凭现有的“河长制”是不能完全解决我国的水污染问题。“河长制”通过明确地方行政首长责任的方式，有效提高了区域河流水质治理的效果，但“河长制”对于河流治理的积极效果恰好反映了我国政府环境责任的缺失，因此，必须严格审视《水污染防治法》中政府环境责任的规定及河长制规定之不足，进而提出完善建议，健全我国政府环境责任制度，达到真正的以法律来长效治理水资源。 客观地分析《水污染防治法》中政府环境责任的规定主要存在以下不足：环境立法缺乏立法机关主导；缺乏充足的公众参与渠道；欠缺完善的环境问责机制；缺少与义务条款相对应的责任条款。“河长制”在实践中也存在如下问题：缺乏可持续发展性、缺乏透明的监督机制。基于以上不足，建议采取以下完善措施：一、加强立法机关主导环境立法。增强立法机关负责环境法律等草案设计及加强对环境行政立法的控制。二、畅通公众参与渠道。增加公众参与的法律规定，健全环境污染举报制度。三、建全河长制治理体系及问责机制。建立“下管一级”的科学河长制治理体系，明确政府环境责任问责专门机构，加强政府环境问责的力度。

With the previous amendments to the ,the content of the articles on the government’s environmental liability regulations has gradually become clear, and the number has increased.The amendment made in 1984 and the amendment altered in 1996 did not mention that the government should be responsible for environmental governance.The fourth article of the amendment altered in 2008 clarifies the government's environmental responsibility for the first time, the fifth article proposes the objective responsibility system and the evaluation system for the protection of water environment.The latest amendment altered in 2017 expands the government’s commitment to environmental responsibility to local people’s governments at all levels,the fifth article increase the “River Chief System”provisions, the18th articlestipulates thatthe city or county people's government shall report the people's congress at the same level or its standing committee. However,in reality, distressing water pollution incidents have still occurred, such as the Zijin Mining Incident in 2010 and the Jingjiang Water Pollution Incident in Jiangsu province in 2014. These major water pollution incidents have affected people's drinking water safety and endangered people's health.The government has made some efforts. In order to solve the blue algae incident in Taihu Lake, the government of Wuxi, Zhejiang Province put forward in practice the “River Chief”who are responsible for the effectiveness of water resources management.In the past 10 years of governance practice, the “River Chief System” has been widely promoted throughout the country, and the images of healthy rivers have emerged in various places and good results have been achieved.However, the existing“River Chief System”cannot completely solve the problem of water pollution in China.Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the deficiencies of the government's environmental responsibility regulations and the requirements of the “River Chief System”, and then put forward sound suggestions to achieve true long-term governance of water resources with policies. The provisions of the government's environmental responsibility law in the have the following deficiencies: lack of legislative guidance in environmental legislation; lack of access to public participation; incomplete environmental accountability mechanisms; and obligations and liability provisions cannot correspond.The ‘River Chief System”has problems in practice: lack of sustainable development, lack of transparent monitoring mechanisms.Based on the above deficiencies, the author proposes improvement suggestions: Firstly, strengthen the legislature to lead the environmental legislation.Strengthen the legislature's responsibility for the design of environmental draft laws and the control of environmental administrative legislation. Secondly, rationalize the public participation channels. Strengthen the timely release of information and improve the reporting system, and expand the body of environmental public litigation.Thirdly, establish a scientific river governance system and improve the accountability mechanism.We will establish a scientific and long-term governance system for the “Lower Management Level”, strengthen the management of environmental quality objectives, define specific agencies responsible for the accountability of the government’s environment, and strengthen government environmental accountability.