Conserving water remains a priority for capital

With the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project about to bring 9.5 billion cubic meters of water each year to benefit Beijing and the dry north, authorities say conserving water and enhancing water efficiency are still a priority for the area.

He Fengci, deputy director of the Beijing office of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, says that although Beijing will receive more than 1 billion cubic meters of diverted water every year, the capital's water scarcity cannot be alleviated long-term because of the surging water demand that comes with rapid economic development.

"Every drop of water is precious," He says, adding that no matter how much water can be diverted to the capital, saving water and raising water efficiency cannot be neglected.

Beijing's per capita water use is far below international warning levels. Annual per person consumption is about 100 cu m, 10 percent of the amount deemed to be the warning line for water shortages, the office says.

According to the Beijing Water Authority, water resources have reduced dramatically due to a continuous drought since 1999, decreasing the annual water flow into Miyun Reservoir to 270 million cubic meters on average over the past 13 years, about 72 percent less than the average annual volume before 1999.

While water resources have declined in the capital, the population grew from 12.6 million in 1999 to 21.1 million in 2013, according to the Beijing Bureau of Statistics.

Li Yuanyuan, vice-president of the Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning, says rapid economic development and urbanization bring surging demand for water. Domestic water consumption in Beijing has risen by 50 million cubic meters annually in recent years, the Beijing Water Authority says.

He fengci says conserving water is the solution for sustainable economic development and the water project can help meet the surge in water demand.

Zhang Xiaojian, a professor of environmental protection at Tsinghua University, says water from the central route will help the capital protect the environment and restore groundwater, which has been pumped excessively in past years.

Groundwater pumping will gradually be reduced by closing self-supply wells after full and steady operation of the central route.

More than half of the water will be for domestic and industrial use, covering water consumption over 6,000 square kilometers, the Beijing Office of the SNWD project says. Part of the diverted water will be stored in three reservoirs as strategic water resources for emergency, He says.

Although the water quality is guaranteed, surveys conducted by a laboratory in Danjiangkou Reservoir showed some residents in Beijing may notice that their tap water has become yellowish because the central route's water is different in terms of such factors as pH level, causing corrosion of old iron pipes.

The Beijing Waterworks Group says efforts have been made to improve pipes to reduce such possibilities and emergency plans have been drawn up to deal with such incidents.

Contact the writers at wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn and zhengjinran@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/03/2014 page25)