Water price set to rise for heavy users

China's top economic planning body said Friday that all cities across the country should apply a tiered system for household water by the end of 2015, in a bid to encourage more effective water usage.

The first tier of pricing will apply to 80 percent of households' average monthly consumption, and the second tier up to 95 percent, making it possible to guarantee residents' basic water needs, according to the guidelines.

The average price will increase to some extent, but people's basic need for water will not surpass the amounts covered by the first tier, so residents will still be charged at the lowest rate as long as they do not squander water, Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Friday, saying the system was an effective way to save water.

Many cities around the country including Guangzhou, Shanghai and Ningbo, have already piloted similar systems. In Guangzhou, household water consumption dropped by 8 to 10 percent on average after the system was introduced, the Yangcheng Evening News reported.

At present, two thirds of Chinese cities are short of water and around 100 cities suffer serious problems, Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, a non-government organization based in Beijing, told the Global Times.