Hebei's water scarcity alleviated by mega diversion project

Over the past decade, Hebei province in North China has applied 22.1 billion cubic meters of water diverted from the south thanks to the country's mega water diversion project, significantly alleviating the severe water scarcity in the province, according to water authorities.

The first phase of the Central Line Project of South-to-North Water Diversion was completed on Dec 12, 2014. Six days later, clean water began flowing northward and entering Hebei. The central route begins at Danjiangkou Reservoir in Central China's Hubei province.

"This project has played a crucial role in supporting the overall economic and social development of the province, improving the ecological environment of rivers and lakes, and enhancing the well-being and satisfaction of the locals," said Li Na, deputy director of the Department of Water Resources of Hebei province.

According to Li, 14.9 billion cubic meters of diverted water have been supplied to urban and rural areas and industries within them.

The recipient areas cover 92 counties or districts in different cities, including Shijiazhuang, Langfang and Baoding. The combined population in such areas accounts for approximately 70 percent of the province's total.

Li added that the quality of the diverted water has remained excellent, consistently meeting the Class II standard of the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water in China.

The standards classify surface water bodies into five categories based on their level of functionality, with Class I being the best.

"The hardness of tap water in the recipient areas has significantly decreased," Li said.

Moreover, 7.18 billion cubic meters of water have been allocated for ecological replenishment in Hebei, restoring 82 rivers and lakes.

Rivers such as the Hutuo River, Daqing River and Fuyang River have been reconnected, while Baiquan Spring in the province's Xingtai city resurged after nearly three decades of being dry.