HANGZHOU, Oct. 25 -- Desalinated seawater has become an important source of water in China, according to an international meeting in Hangzhou, capital of eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

Yang Shangbao, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the meeting on Tuesday that China has built 112 water desalination facilities with a combined daily treatment capacity of 1.08 million cubic meters.

"Seawater desalination has provided an important supplementing water source and provided a strategic reserve in China," Yang said.

He said an industry had taken shape to make comprehensive use of seawater. About half of current desalination facilities are used for providing water for public use, such as for water used in urban landscaping.

"Membrane technology has already made it feasible to recycle polluted water for drinking. With the technology, several water desalination plants in northern China have started to process seawater to ease acute water shortages," said Xing Weihong, deputy principal of Nanjing University of Industry, who is attending the three-day meeting.

The 4th China (West Lake) International Seawater Desalination and Water Reutilization Meeting is sponsored by the China Water Desalination Association in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Desalination Association.