Investment in water facilities in Chinese cities to hit 77 bln USD in next 5 years: expert

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20investment%20in%20water%20facilities%20in%20Chinese%20cities%20from%202011%20to%202015%20is%20estimated%20to%20be%20no%20less%20than%20500%20billion%20to%20600%20billion%20yuan%20%2877.4%20billion%20to%2092.8%20billion%20U.S.%20dollars%29%2C%20a%20senior%20expert%20from%20China%27s%20Ministry%20of%20Housing%20and%20Urban-Rural%20Development%20said%20here%20on%20Wednesday.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ESpeaking%20at%20a%20business%20forum%20on%20the%20Chinese%20water%20market%20at%20the%20ongoing%20Singapore%20International%20Water%20Week%2C%20Shao%20Yisheng%2C%20vice%20dean%20of%20China%20Urban%20Planning%20and%20Design%20Institute%2C%20said%20China%20has%20about%204%2C000%20water%20plants%20but%20the%20technologies%20used%20at%20most%20of%20the%20plants%20were%20not%20advanced.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20quality%20of%20the%20source%20water%20at%20less%20than%20half%20of%20these%20plants%20was%20up%20to%20the%20national%20standards%2C%20making%20it%20all%20the%20more%20challenge%20for%20the%20treatment%2C%20he%20added.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20water%20pipe%20system%20calls%20for%20improvement%2C%20too%2C%20with%20over%206%20billion%20cubic%20meters%20of%20water%20lost%20as%20a%20result%20of%20leaks.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAbout%2076.9%20percent%20of%20the%20urban%20waste%20water%20was%20treated.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20has%20been%20increasing%20waste%20water%20treatment%20capacity%20and%20tapping%20into%20more%20sources%20of%20water%2C%20including%20waste%20water%20recycling.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22To%20have%20a%20sustainable%20water%20system%2C%20we%20must%20save%20water%20and%2C%20at%20the%20same%20time%2C%20treate%20waste%20water.%20The%20waste%20water%20should%20be%20turned%20into%20a%20resource%20that%20can%20be%20recycled%20and%20reused.%20The%20reuse%20of%20recycled%20water%20will%20be%20the%20fundamental%20solution%20to%20our%20water%20problems%2C%22%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EShao%20said%20China%20will%20upgrade%20about%202%2C000%20water%20plants%20in%20the%20period%20covered%20by%20the%20country%27s%2012th%20five-year%20plan%2C%20from%202011%20to%202015.%20They%20have%20a%20combined%20capacity%20of%20treating%2064%20million%20cubic%20meters%20of%20water%20every%20day.%20In%20addition%2C%202%2C358%20water%20plants%20with%20a%20combined%20capacity%20of%20producing%2040%20million%20cubic%20meters%20will%20be%20built%2C%20in%20part%20to%20meet%20the%20demand%20of%20growing%20towns%20and%20cities%20as%20urbanization%20speeds%20up.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20will%20also%20upgrade%20and%20build%20a%20total%20of%20150%2C000%20kilometers%20of%20water%20pipe%20over%20the%20next%20five%20years.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EShao%20also%20highlighted%20the%20demand%20in%20waste%20water%20collection%20and%20treatment%2C%20saying%20that%20the%20country%20will%20build%20150%2C000%20kilometers%20of%20water%20pipe%20to%20collect%20waste%20water%20so%20that%20the%20treatment%20capacity%20can%20be%20fully%20utilized.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20international%20practice%20is%20that%20the%20investment%20in%20waste%20water%20treatment%20is%20at%20about%20the%20same%20level%20as%20that%20in%20the%20capacity%20to%20supply%20clean%20water.%20In%20China%20it%20is%20way%20below%20that%2C%22%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%20faces%20the%20challenging%20task%20of%20increasing%20its%20sludge%20treatment%20capacity%2C%20too%2C%20Shao%20added.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20senior%20expert%20said%20there%20is%20the%20need%20for%20Chinese%20cities%20to%20boost%20their%20capabilities%20to%20handle%20floods%2C%20too.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22Flooding%20happens%20in%20many%20cities%20when%20it%20rains%2C%20because%20our%20development%20above%20the%20ground%20by%20far%20overtakes%20the%20development%20under%20ground%2C%22%20he%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20Chinese%20water%20market%20drew%20the%20attention%20of%20many%20at%20the%20Singapore%20International%20Water%20Week.%20Sembcorp%2C%20a%20Singapore-based%20company%2C%20signed%20MOUs%20%28memorandum%20of%20understanding%29%20with%20its%20partners%20in%20three%20Chinese%20cities%20on%20Wednesday.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3C/FONT%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C/P%3E