Construction on the second phase of the Dongjiang River Project that supplies the bulk of Shenzhen's tap water is expected to commence by the end of this year, Jiang Zunyu, director general of the city's water supply bureau said.

Upon completion, the new project will ensure the city, which suffers from chronic water shortages, to have enough water supply in the years to come, Jiang told a group of residents who were on a weekend tour along the Dong-jiang River, which is considered the lifeline of the city.

The Phase II project, estimated to cost 550 million yuan (US$68.75 million), will add 370 million cubic meters of water to the city annually. Upon completion of the project, the Dongjiang River will then supply a total of 720 million cubic meters of water to the city.

The project, designed to meet the city’s water demand by 2010, will include a 7.68-kilometer pipeline and a number of pumping stations.

Official statistics show that about 70 percent of Shenzhen’s water is being bought from the water supply project based on the Dongjiang River.

While the Dongjiang can provide a total of 32 billion cubic meters of water a year, more than 33 million people living along the river depend on it for their water, and the demand exceeds availability.

(Shenzhen Daily November 14, 2005)