The Chinese capital is likely to raise its water price to a record high but the schedule remains undecided, said a senior official with the municipality's water authority.

Jiao Zhizhong, director of the Beijing water department, said the scheduled water price could be 6 yuan (75 cents) per cubic meter, which is considered reasonable by many.

Interviewed by a local TV program, Jiao said the annual per capita water resources of Beijing residents is less than 300 cubic meters, compared with the world's average of 1,000 cubic meters.

According to international standards, people would suffer serious water shortages when their annual per capita water amount is less than 500 cubic meters, said Tuesday's Beijing Youth Daily.

"Authoritative calculations find that local residents' water expenditure should make up three percent of their total livelihood expenses, but now the percentage is merely one percent," said WangHao, an expert on water resources.

The government would solicit opinions from Beijing residents before making decisions, Jiao said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2005)