KUNMING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Safe drinking water has reached the homes of almost 100,000 impoverished rural residents in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The 99,421 residents were struggling to access safe drinking water, according to the provincial department of water resources.

The provincial government built new water projects, expanded existing water plants and upgraded water facilities to bolster the water supply. They also replaced unqualified water with new water resources or added water purifying equipment.