Make wealthy pay for wasting water resources: Professor

A 72-year-old retired professor believes a user-pays pricing scheme would reduce water consumption in Beijing and ease the cost burden on the poor.

Shen Lenian, who retired from Tsinghua University about six years ago, said 36.7 percent of Beijing families use less than 5 cu m water every month. While 44.1 percent of the families use 5 to 10 cu m water and 19.2 percent use more than 10 cu m of water.

"From what I have learned, most citizens in Beijing seldom waste water. Those who use too much water are usually rich," Shen told the forum.