A water-wasting nation

The announcement by the Beijing municipal government to charge accumulative water prices on a trial basis is an active response to Monday's World Water Day. The worst drought in a century in the southwestern region of China underlies the importance of the international event to raise awareness for water conservation.

More than 200 days without a drop of rain have made millions of people desperate to get drinking water in drought-ravaged provinces. In North China, although there has been much more snowfall this past winter than in previous years, saving water is still a great concern for the local government and the people.

An investigation of 200 residential communities by Beijing News last week shows that only 20 percent of them are using treated water to flush their toilets. If residents are allowed to flush toilets with treated water, 30-40 percent in water can be saved.