Chongqing- In recent years, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has comprehensively promoted the establishment of a national water-saving city. As of 2021, a total of 12 districts in Chongqing have reached the standard of municipal water-saving city, according to the Chongqing Urban Management Bureau.

Water-saving is an important measure to solve the problems of water shortage, ecological water damage, and water environment pollution. It is an important link in constructing an ecologically friendly civilization and essential support for high-quality economic and social development.

By the end of 2021, China has built 130 national water-saving cities, including Chizhou in Anhui Province, Xuchang in Henan Province, and Yixing in Jiangsu Province, which have played a leading role in the national urban water-saving work.

Chongqing is focusing on strengthening the management of water quotas and promoting the revision of the Chongqing Urban Water Supply and Water Conservation Management Regulations to establish, improve, and perfect the urban service industry and domestic water quota system, according to the Chongqing Urban Management Bureau.

Since the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), the municipality has completed the renovation of 2,000 kilometers of old urban public water supply pipe network, 960,000 households have been renovated for one meter per residence, and carried out District Metering Area (DMA) management, effectively solving the problems of water use, including water running, emitting, dripping and leaking.

The leakage rate of the urban public water supply pipe network has been controlled by 10%, which is at the top level in China.

After the renovation, using new environmentally friendly PE, PPR pipes instead of the original galvanized pipes can eliminate scale in the water, improve the water quality, and avoid secondary water supply pollution.

At the same time, one meter per residence reconstructs the branch pipes in the general meter and the pipelines in front of the household meters, which further ensures the water supply pressure.

Chongqing advocates the use of unconventional water sources, which can originate from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sewage effluents, brackish surface, and well water, in urban landscaping and municipal facilities.

New technologies such as intelligent sensing water-saving appliances are given priority in newly built public toilets. The concept of a sponge city is adopted, and the material of imitation stone ecological permeable brick pavement becomes the first choice in upgrading sidewalks.

According to incomplete statistics, the use of unconventional water in the city amounted to 260 million cubic meters, effectively achieving energy conservation and emission reduction and promoting green and low-carbon urban development.

Besides, Chongqing Urban Management Bureau has issued municipal water-saving city standards, carried out water-saving city training, and guided the creation of the water-saving city in central urban areas.

A total of 4,457 water-saving carriers of various types have been built in Chongqing. Chongqing's key industries, including thermal power and steel, have been constructed into water-saving enterprises.

(Wang Lu, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)