Chongqing is going to welcome the largest water conservancy project since its establishment as a municipality directly under the central government- the feasibility report of the Yuxi Water Resource Allocation Project (the Project for short) was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission recently. It is slated to commence in 2020 and finish in 2025 after 54 months of construction.
The Project will supply domestic and industrial water to West Chongqing via newly-constructed Yangtze River- and Jialing River-based water pumping projects. It can also improve the ecological consumption of rivers in the water-receiving areas and return the occupied irrigation water. The Project covers the north part of the Yangtze River and the west part of the Qujiang River and Jialing River in Chongqing, an area of 11,800 km2 involving 11 districts of the city.
West Chongqing is an important part of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster, a major strategic focus of future industrialization and urbanization in Chongqing, and a key area to accommodate new industries and population flowing to the city. After coming to fruition, the Project is expected to become a major water source of West Chongqing and create a water resource allocation pattern that the Yangtze River and Jialing River support each other. As a result, the water supply capacity of the area will be effectively improved, supply and demand of water resources will be balanced, and the environment of the rivers will be further ameliorated. These will then benefit the public, fuel the integration of urban-rural water supply, and power economical and socially sustainable development.
With the total investment of 15 billion yuan, the Project is composed of 20 pump stations, 444.6 km water pipes, and seven regulating reservoirs. They are going to provide additional 467-million-m3 and 545-million-m3 water for domestic and industrial consumption, respectively.
By 2030, the water supplied by the Project is estimated to account for 52% of the total amount in the water-receiving areas, the runoff volume will increase by about 400 million m3, the improved irrigation area will reach 711.3 km2, and 9.44 million people will enjoy better water from the Yangtze River.