South-North water megaproject restoring groundwater levels

Thanks to the massive project to divert water from the Yangtze River Basin to the drought-prone north, the level of groundwater in recipient regions is beginning to recover, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

A recent assessment has found that the first phase of the megaproject's eastern and middle branches have helped replace the use of over 3 billion cubic meters of ground water in urban areas, according to a media release from the ministry on Tuesday. 

This has prevented further lowering of the water table in these urban areas and allowed groundwater levels to rise, it added.

The South-North Water Diversion Project has three branches; the eastern, middle and western routes. As the most prominent of the three, due to its role in bringing water to the capital, the first phase of the middle route began supplying the region with water on Dec 12, 2014.

The first phase of the eastern route, which serves Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, began operation in November 2013. The western route remains in the planning stage and has yet to be built.

According to the ministry, aside from meeting demand for water along the branches, the megaproject has been helping to top up natural water bodies in the six provincial regions it passes through since 2018. 

As a result, 967 kilometers of formerly dry watercourses have come back to life. Water supplementation has also added some 348 square kilometers to lake areas.

The release stated that marked rises in groundwater levels have been reported in areas near these bodies.