Beijing's municipal government has worked out a five-year plan
to guarantee the capital's water supply, especially during the 2008
Olympics, according to the city's water authority.
Bi Xiaogang, deputy head of Beijing Water Authority, said
although Beijing is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years, the
city still has adequate supplies of water.
Beijing is building a water transmission project linking the
city's reservoirs to those in the neighboring province of Hebei. The project is expected to be completed
by the end of 2007 and will be able to supply water to the capital
in the first quarter of 2008.
In emergency cases, the four large reservoirs in Hebei, each
with a capacity of more than 300 million cubic meters, will supply
Beijing with water, said Bi.
The municipal government will also continue promoting
water-saving facilities and technologies for industrial,
agricultural and household use.
"Investment in water-saving facilities and technologies has
already paid off as they have helped save about 100 million cubic
meters of water in agriculture alone annually, which is almost the
storage capacity of a medium-sized reservoir," said Bi.
In addition, renovations of the capital's waterworks is
underway. When they are completed, the daily water supply capacity
in Beijing will reach 3.1 million cubic meters, the estimated
highest level of consumption during the Olympics, according to the
official.
(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2007)