Beijing taps new water sources

Beijing is multiplying its water sources to meet the demand of a growing population, and will increasingly rely on supplies recycled from sewage treatment plants for environmental uses such as road cleaning and municipal garden watering.

The city's annual water consumption goal for 2016 is 4 billion cubic meters, of which 25 percent will come from recycled supplies, an increase from 800 million cu m three years ago, the Beijing Water Authority said.

In 2020, consumption is expected to reach 4.3 billion cu m, the authority said, with the recycled water supply reaching 1.2 billion cu m.