A water project connecting north and south, benefiting 140 million people in 7 years

"In ancient times, there were canals for grain transportation, and now there is the South-to-North Water Diversion Project."

On December 12, the first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project's East and Middle Lines celebrated its 7th anniversary of full water supply.

Over the past seven years, the project has diverted a total of 49.4 billion cubic meters of water, benefiting more than 40 large and medium-sized cities and more than 280 counties (districts and cities) along the line in seven provinces and cities, including Henan, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Anhui and Shandong, benefiting 140 million people. It has brought huge economic, social and ecological benefits, and the sense of gain, happiness and security of the people along the line has continued to increase.

Aerial photo of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Image provided by the Ministry of Water Resources

The first phase of the East and Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project was fully put into operation on December 12, 2014. The first phase of the East Route Project starts from the Jiangdu Water Conservancy Hub in Yangzhou City, and uses the world's largest pumping station group to "lift" the Yangtze River water northward into Shandong; the first phase of the Middle Route Project draws water from the Taocha Canal Head Gate of the Danjiangkou Reservoir into the canal, and the world's largest aqueduct group "escorts" the southern water to flow thousands of miles, irrigating Henan, Hebei, Tianjin and Beijing.

The overall view of Taierzhuang Pumping Station on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Shiping

So far, the first phase of the East and Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project has transferred a total of about 49.4 billion cubic meters of water, of which 5.288 billion cubic meters were transferred from the East Route to Shandong, and more than 44.1 billion cubic meters were transferred from the Middle Route to Henan, Hebei, Tianjin and Beijing.

This unprecedented mega project has benefited more than 40 large and medium-sized cities and more than 280 counties and districts along the route. Water from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project accounts for more than 70% of the daily water supply in Beijing's urban area and almost all of Tianjin's daily water supply. More than 90% of residents in Zhengzhou's central urban area drink "southern water."

Water shortage problem in northern China has been completely alleviated

China is listed by the United Nations as one of the 13 water-poor countries. If the per capita water resources are calculated, the most "thirsty" region in my country is not the northwest where deserts are widespread, but the North China region.

Before the completion of the first phase of the East and Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the per capita water resources in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin were only 462 cubic meters, which was 1/5 of the national average. The per capita water resources in the Haihe River Basin where Beijing and Tianjin are located were even less. Beijing was the most water-scarce city in the world, with only 97 cubic meters, far below the internationally recognized "extreme water shortage standard" of 500 cubic meters per capita, and only 1/3 of the 285 cubic meters per capita water resources in Israel, a desert country in the Middle East. Due to excessive use of surface water and massive over-exploitation of groundwater, North China once faced serious water ecological and environmental problems such as "all rivers are dry, all water is polluted, ground subsidence, and seawater intrusion".

The Shahe Aqueduct on the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Shiping

Liu Changming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, said that my country's per capita water resources are very low, only one-fourth of the world average, and the spatial and temporal distribution is particularly uneven, with more land and less water in the north and less land and more water in the south. In addition, the time distribution of water resources is concentrated in the summer, and the necessity of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project lies in balancing this unevenness.

"In the seven years since the water was delivered, the water from the south has jumped from the original supplementary water source to the main water source for many large and medium-sized cities." Jiang Xuguang, secretary of the party group and chairman of China South-to-North Water Diversion Group, said that now, more than 70% of the water supply in Beijing's urban area is water from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the hardness of tap water has been reduced from 380 mg/L to 120 mg/L; the water supply in Tianjin's main urban area is almost entirely water from the south. In addition, more than ten provincial cities in Henan use water from the south, among which more than 90% of the domestic water for residents in Zhengzhou's central urban area is water from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

According to statistics, nearly 50 billion cubic meters of high-quality water have been flowing into thousands of households in the north in the seven years since the full water supply was put into operation. As of December 12, 2021, the first phase of the East and Central Lines have transferred a total of 49.4 billion cubic meters of water, of which the first phase of the Central Line has transferred more than 44.1 billion cubic meters of water, and the first phase of the East Line has transferred a total of 5.288 billion cubic meters of water to Shandong. The water shortage in the north has been fundamentally alleviated.

The project has achieved good results

Forming the "four horizontal and three vertical" national backbone water network

Seven years after the water supply was put into use, the lives of 140 million people have been changed. Millions of people have completely bid farewell to the history of drinking high-fluoride water, bitter and salty water for generations, and "the millet porridge they cook is more fragrant." It is a natural law that water flows to lower places, but the East Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project has achieved "water flows to higher places." From the starting point of the water diversion to the Shandong Peninsula, the ground elevation rises by nearly 40 meters, which means that the "southern water" must "flow high" before it can continue to "go north." Therefore, along the first phase of the East Route Project, a total of 34 stations, 160 water pumps, and 13 pumping stations were built, which gradually raised the water of the Yangtze River to a height of more than ten stories and sent it to the Shandong Peninsula. The sweet water from the south is pouring into the northern land. We will not forget the people and builders who were relocated due to the project.

Wang Hao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a hydrologist and water resources scientist, said that the achievements made by the South-to-North Water Diversion Project since its full water supply are mainly due to the use of water conservation to force changes in water use and economic development methods, the use of environmental protection and pollution control to promote the continuous improvement of the regional water ecological environment, the use of precise water diversion to ensure the water supply security of the receiving areas, and the coordinated allocation of water from the south to maximize the ecological benefits of the project.

The middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project provides ecological water replenishment to the Hutuo River. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Shiping

Wannian Sluice Pumping Station on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Shiping

The East and Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is an important part of the "four horizontal and three vertical" national backbone water network. According to the "Overall Plan for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project", relying on the abundant water resources of the Yangtze River, the East, Middle and West Route Projects of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, through the connection with the Yangtze River, Huaihe River, Yellow River and Haihe River, form the backbone of the national water network with "four horizontal and three vertical" as the main body.

The 14th Five-Year Plan outline clearly proposes to promote the construction of follow-up projects of the East and Middle Lines of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and deepen the comparison and demonstration of the West Line Project. At present, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is promoting the planning and construction of follow-up projects of the East and Middle Lines, and is also carrying out preliminary work such as comparison and demonstration of the planning scheme of the West Line Project.

Clear water and clear rivers help the ecological environment of rivers and lakes recover

In the early winter, the reeds in Baiyangdian are golden and the reed flowers sway in the wind. Xiongan New Area, which carries the "millennium plan and national affairs", is located in Baiyangdian, which is known as the "Kidney of North China".

The ecological environment of Baiyangdian Lake has improved. Image provided by the Ministry of Water Resources

Data shows that Baiyangdian Lake consists of 143 lakes of various sizes. In the 1950s, the area of ​​Baiyangdian Lake was 561 square kilometers. As the water shortage problem in North China became increasingly serious, the drying up of Baiyangdian Lake became more and more frequent. Since 1984, the phenomenon of drying up has occurred for five consecutive years, and the ecological situation is not optimistic. Since 2018, the first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project has continued to provide ecological water replenishment to Baiyangdian Lake. Combined with other water replenishment measures, the cumulative amount of water entering the lake has reached 2.45 billion cubic meters. The water level of Baiyangdian Lake has remained stable at around 7 meters, and the area of ​​the lake has recovered from 171 square kilometers to around 275 square kilometers. The "Pearl of North China" has regained its vitality.

This is just a microcosm. In the seven years since the full water supply, the project has effectively ensured the ecological safety of rivers and lakes along the route through comprehensive measures such as water source replacement and ecological water replenishment. The lakes in the water receiving areas along the eastern route use the pumped river water to replenish the evaporation and leakage water in a timely manner. The lake water storage remains stable, the ecological environment continues to improve, and the "Spring City" Jinan has reappeared the scene of springs gushing in all seasons; the central route has cumulatively replenished more than 7 billion cubic meters of ecological water to more than 50 rivers in the north, promoting the revival of a large number of rivers and lakes such as Hutuo River, Pu River, Nanjuma River, Daqing River, and Baiyangdian, and significantly improving the ecological environment of rivers and lakes.

"Green has always been the underlying color of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project." Jiang Xuguang said that the "Overall Plan for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project" proposes that the fundamental goal of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is to improve and restore the ecological environment of the Huanghuai Plain and Jiaodong region.

For example, in 2020, the shallow groundwater level in North China rose by 0.23 meters compared with the previous year, and it rebounded for the first time after years of decline; from August to September 2021, the Yongding River was replenished with water for the first time through the Daning Surge Tank Gate in the Beijing section, helping the Yongding River to achieve the first full flow of water along the 865-kilometer river since 1996. The once dry depressions, ponds, rivers, canals, and wetlands along the project have regained vitality, initially forming a beautiful landscape with smooth rivers, clear water, green banks, and beautiful scenery.

Let us pay tribute to you with water and thank you!

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, Science and Technology Daily, Economic Information Daily, etc.