Beijing's municipal government has worked out a five-year plan to guarantee the capital's water supply, especially during the 2008 Olympics, according to the city's water authority.

Bi Xiaogang, deputy head of Beijing Water Authority, said although Beijing is experiencing its worst drought in 50 years, the city still has adequate supplies of water.

Beijing is building a water transmission project linking the city's reservoirs to those in the neighboring province of Hebei. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2007 and will be able to supply water to the capital in the first quarter of 2008.

In emergency cases, the four large reservoirs in Hebei, each with a capacity of more than 300 million cubic meters, will supply Beijing with water, said Bi.

The municipal government will also continue promoting water-saving facilities and technologies for industrial, agricultural and household use.

"Investment in water-saving facilities and technologies has already paid off as they have helped save about 100 million cubic meters of water in agriculture alone annually, which is almost the storage capacity of a medium-sized reservoir," said Bi.

In addition, renovations of the capital's waterworks is underway. When they are completed, the daily water supply capacity in Beijing will reach 3.1 million cubic meters, the estimated highest level of consumption during the Olympics, according to the official.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2007)