Diversion project slakes northern need for water (4)

Rise in quality

The quality of the water transferred through the middle route－home to many bottled water factories－is constantly at or above grade two in China's five-tier quality scale for surface water, with 80 percent of sites providing grade one water, according to the authority.

Weng said, "The better-quality water means I don't have to always rinse out the shower nozzle, which used to be constantly clogged with mineral deposits."

Though China is on the right path, experts said the country should step up efforts to resolve the water supply-demand mismatch resulting from the growing population and increased urbanization.

Zhou, from Beijing Forestry University, said China is home to about 20 percent of the global population, but only has 6 percent of the world's freshwater resources, while per capita water availability is just one-fourth the global average.

"China's economy is still forging ahead, which will lead to surging demand for water," he said. "We have to appreciate the sacrifice of the people in Danjiangkou and cherish every drop."

When he was relocated, Zhang Hongan brought several orange trees from his old village to replant outside his new home. He didn't have high hopes that the trees would survive the abrupt change, but they flourished.

Now, the village is committed to developing rural tourism, as more tourists will arrive with the opening of a high-speed railway linking Wuhan, Hubei's capital, with the dam area.

With the help of the village committee, Zhang is considering turning his house into a homestay.

"The trees are thriving, why shouldn't we?" he asked.