Chinaвђ™s Water Supply Problems and the Solutions

China Shortage of Fresh Water, People often thinks that water will never be used up. There is plenty of water, such as rain, water from the rivers and wells. It seems as if water is always available around us and we never have to worry about water shortage. In fact water is rather limited on the earth. With the rapid increase of population and fast development of industries, water is more needed than before. At the same time, a large amount of water has been polluted and wasted every day. Some big cities in China are facing the problem of water shortage already. There, water supply is controlled and industry has been restrained.

China says water supplies exploited by 2030 written by Chris Bukley reports:

China will have exploited all available water supplies to the limit by 2030, the government has warned, ordering officials to prepare for worse to come as global warming and economic expansion drain lakes and rivers

with that, the state council issued a directive:

“Taking into full account water-saving, by 2030 our country’s water use will reach or approach the total volume of exploitable water resources, and the drought-fighting situation will be increasingly serious.”

Water supply in China is undergoing a massive transition while facing numerous challenges such as rapid urbanization, a widening gap between rich and poor as well as urban and rural areas, as well as water scarcity, contamination and pollution.

Much has been achieved during the past decades in terms of increased access to services, increased municipal wastewater treatment, the creation of water and wastewater utilities that are legally and financially separated from local governments, and increasing cost recovery as part of the transformation of the Chinese economy to a more market-oriented system. The government has quadrupled investments in the sector during the current 2006–10 Five-Year Plan.

Nevertheless, much remains to be achieved. A staggering 300 million Chinese still do not have access to an improved source of water supply, and about 750 million do not have access to improved sanitation. Progress in rural areas appears to lag behind what has been achieved in urban areas. There are also operational problems. For example, many wastewater treatment plants do not operate properly, thus limiting the positive impact of the major investments made on the environment.

Water supply and sanitation in the People's Republic of China

From MedBib.com - Medicine & Nature

People's Republic of China: Water and Sanitation

Data

Water coverage (broad definition) 77%

Sanitation coverage (broad definition) 44%

Continuity of supply (%) Generally continuous, but seasonal shortages in some areas [1]

Average urban water use (liter/capita/day) 204 (2005) [2]

Average urban water and sewer bill for 20m3 US$ 3.5/month for water only [3]

Share of household metering 90% [4]

Share of collected wastewater treated 52%

Annual investment in WSS about US$ 10 / capita (2006) in urban areas [5].

Share of self-financing by utilities close to zero

Share of tax-financing about 35% (from city budgets)

Share of internal debt financing 55-60%

Share of foreign financing 5-10%

Institutions

Decentralization to municipalities Full

National water and sanitation company No

Water and sanitation regulator No

Responsibility for policy setting Ministry of Construction

Sector law No

Number of urban service providers 41,663 (including small towns)

Number of rural service providers n/a

Access to improved water supply has increased significantly in China over the past two decades in parallel with economic growth.