The Shanghai government will set up 27 new sewage treatment plants as well as more waste water pipes over the next three years to further increase the city's ability to dispose of waste water, officials announced at a two-day conference on environmental protection that began yesterday.

The move is part of a draft plan to improve environmental protection over the next three years.

Experts at the conference also advised local leaders to take steps to reduce water consumption in the city.

Water pollution will be the city's biggest environmental concern over the next few years, Wu Nianzu, deputy secretary general of the municipal government, told the conference.

Once the new facilities are in place, the city should be able to treat 76 percent of the waste water it produces.

Currently, the city only treats about 44 percent of the 5.04 million tons of waste water produced every day, with the rest flowing directly into local rivers.

In addition to the sewage treatment, experts on environmental protection said Shanghai should pay more attention to controlling the amount of waste water produced by local residents and businesses.

"One of the most-effective ways is to reduce water consumption," said Qian Yi, a professor of water disposal from Tsinghua University. "Less water consumption will not only raise the utility of water resources, but also well reduce the amount of waste water."

The draft plan estimates that every local resident will consume 250 cubic meters of water every day by 2005, rising 2.6 percent from the present level.

"Compared with daily consumption of 150 cubic meters of water by every person in the EU countries, I think it would be better for Shanghai to reduce the amount," said Qian.

The draft plan also deals with air pollution, greenbelt construction, solid trash treatment and industrial pollution and other issues.

(eastday.com December 6, 2002)