Water Infrastructure Projects Across China

Beijing is facing the denting task to supply water to its resident while water sources like groundwater is depleting aquifers. The ambitious South-to-North water diversion project could provide enough water for the capital. Nearly 40 percent of Beijing’s surface water is to pollute for use.

Beijing hopes to cap its population at 23 million by 2020 due to the city sever water stress, but scarcity could worsen as China grows.

The 65 billion project South-to-North water diversion could provide the bulk of water supply. The project which is two third completed, includes three massive aqueducts. The project is expected to reach maximum capacity in 2019.

China is consolidating its land, water and agriculture ministries into the wider reaching Ministry of Ecological Environment. It is expected new policies and monitoring systems will be in place in the attempt to combat pollution.

Other projects are on their way to improve water quality and infrastructure across the country.

Financed with the World Bank loan of $150 million, the Zhejiang Qiandao Lake and Xin’an River Basin water resources and Ecological Environment Protection Project will promote smart farming practices, environmentally sustainable forest management and integrated landscape management. The program will promote water resources management and ecosystem restoration, and inter-provincial collaboration in pollution control. Utilizing the Novel watershed management models, while payments for the ecological services will be piloted in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy. The project is going to be implemented in Chun’an County and Jiande City, it will benefit 720,000 people including farmers, plantation owners and livestock producers.

Only sixty-five percent of its rural population has access to piped water supply, and only three to five percent of rural wastewater is collected and properly treated. This is the lower than the national average of 73 percent.

Another project financed with the World Bank loan of $200 million is the Jiangxi Integrated Rural and Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management Project. The program is to build and upgrade the urban and rural water supply infrastructure as well as improving water management. Developing and implementation of a Smart Water Supply Management system to combines with modern technologies to increase the reliability and quality of water supply at a lower cost.

This project includes treatment plant, sewerage pipelines and household sewer connections, it is going to be implemented across seven counties in Jiangxi and benefits 2.26 million people.

The last project we are going to look at is the Liaoning Safe and Sustainable Urban Water Supply Project. The World Bank loan of $250 million to improve water, service quality and operational efficiency of water supply.  This project is aiming to reduce water losses and increase energy efficiency through the construction and upgrade of infrastructure while improving water management. This project will benefit five cities including Anshan, Fushun, Fuxin, Gaizhou and Shenyang it is about 5.69 million people.