China’s water administrative departments at all levels are required to coordinate epidemic prevention and control work and the water supply in rural regions, so as to ensure safe rural water supply operations, according to a notice from the Ministry of Water Resources of China.

(Photo/Xinhua)

Annual tasks for the assurance of drinking water safety in rural regions include ensuring rural drinking water safety and completing the relevant poverty alleviation work before June 2020.

Meanwhile, China should basically solve the problem of excess fluorine in drinking water and complete promotion work for consolidating drinking water safety in rural regions before December 2020.

"The Party and the state attach great importance to the safety of drinking water in rural areas, and is making great efforts to let farmers drink safe and clean water conveniently, and the level of drinking water safety in rural areas is constantly improving," said Chen Mingzhong, an official from the Ministry of Water Resources.

According to data from the Ministry of Water Resources, in 2019, the problem of drinking water safety has been solved for over 1 million poor people, and a government archive has been established.

Furthermore, in 2019, various annual targets have been reached, for instance, water safety for 54.8 million rural people has been improved, and the problem of excess fluorine in drinking water has been solved for 6.2 million people.

The Ministry of Water Resources proposed that China attach equal importance to water source protection and water quality treatment, vigorously promote the integration of urban and rural water supplies as well as the large-scale construction of rural water supply projects.

The centralized water supply rate in rural areas should reach 87 percent; the popularization rate of tap water should reach 83 percent, and the target of ensuring water supply for 60 million rural people should be successfully reached.

"This year, the Ministry of Water Resources will continue to pay close attention to the remaining poor people whose problem of drinking water safety has not been solved, so as to ensure that the problem of drinking water safety for the poor population will be fully solved by the end of June 2020,” Chen Mingzhong pointed out.

Targets achieved in 2019

- Promoted the security level of water supplies for 54.8 million rural residents.

- Solved the drinking water problem for 1 million poor residents with an archive having been established.

- Solved the problem of excess fluorine in drinking water for 6.2 million people.

Targets for 2020

- The centralized water supply rate in rural areas should reach 87 percent; the popularization rate of tap water should reach 83 percent.

- Work to ensure rural drinking water safety and complete the relevant poverty alleviation work before June 2020.

- The target of ensuring water supply for 60 million rural people should be successfully reached.