節水標準定額體系(jiéshuǐ biāozhǔn dìngé tǐxì): Water conservation standard quota system

The Ministry of Water Resources will establish a system of standard quotas for water usage in the next two to three years to better conserve water.

According to the Ministry, the water conservation standard quota system will consist of 105 water conservation quotas, 29 water conservation technological codes, 4 water conservation carrier evaluation standards and 9 product water efficiency standards. The 105 water saving quotas will include 14 agricultural quotas, 70 industrial quotas, 3 construction quotas and 18 service quotas.

China's per capita water resources are only one-fourth of the global average level, which makes it one of the most water indigent countries in the world. Meanwhile, China is also the country that uses the most water globally. Water conservation is therefore an urgent task for China.

The water conservation standard quotas are a means to evaluate and enforce water saving. Officials of the Ministry of Water Resources said that the ministry will make a water conservation quota system that covers major crops, industrial products and the service industry, as well as a water conservation standard system for water conservation basic management, regional and industrial water conservation evaluation and major water consumption products' water efficiency evaluation.

In the next stage, the ministry will strictly implement the water usage quotas.