The Wanjiazhai Water Transfer Project, China: an environmentally integrated water transfer system

The Wanjiazhai Water Transfer Project, now under development by the Shanxi Province of China with World Bank assistance, is a pioneering undertaking providing massive integrated water transfer, to enable the 'parched' regions of northern China to be able to survive. The Wanjiazhai project will deliver some 1.76 million m3/day of fresh water from the Wanjiazhai Reservoir on the Yellow River, by means of a series of pumping stations tunnels, and other components, over a distance of some 285 km to the City of Taiyuan, which is the hub of one of China's major industrial zones. Due to the continuing growth of population and of associated industry and agriculture, the local water resources have become totally overutilised, although extensive recycling for industry and irrigation occurs. The current sustainability of the groundwater resources is seriously threatened, for the present water shortage is 0.43 million m3/day. In addition, because of the large production of pollutant discharges with insufficient attention to waste management, the local river has become grossly polluted. The only answer is a massive importation of water, which is the first step in the project now underway.The focus of the present paper is to examine how the overall project will incorporate essential components to ensure that the expensive imported water will be wisely utilized. To manage this problem the overall project includes a number of special components including: (i) a critical assessment of the new total water resources availability and its allocation between various users, including a pricing structure which assigns equal value to both local and imported water supplies, (ii) an optimization of use of clean technologies and of recycling by industries, as well as improved waste treatment, including the establishment of a financial revolving fund to assist in achieving these goals, (iii) a substantial strengthening of the community/regional water pollution control management operations, with adequate funding, so as to upgrade the municipal wastewater treatment system to restore the river to acceptable water quality levels and, (iv) the recharging of the groundwater basins with treated sewage effluents, plus recharging using floodwater runoff during the rainy seasons.