Capital's water shortage 'a burning issue'

Desalinated seawater and water from the Yellow River will be introduced to the capital city in the future to counter the drinking water shortage following years of drought, said authorities.

According to the Beijing Waterworks Group, Beijing is desperately in need of water, with only 1.2 billion cubic meters of water reserve left in the two reservoirs for residents' drinking water in the city, Miyun Reservoir and Guanting Reservoir following 12 years of drought.

According to Shao Wenjie, a researcher with the Green Beagle, a Beijing-based environmental protection nongovernmental organization, assuming 2.5 billion cubic meters of water is consumed every year in the city, the water can only support the city for half a year.

"We are currently considering using desalinated seawater and the Yellow River to solve the capital's burning issue," Liang Li, spokesman of the group, told China Daily on May 14.

According to Shao, of all the more than 200 reservoirs in the city, many are low in reserves and some have dried up.

"It's essential residents and enterprises consume water in a reasonable way," he said.