Test section for river pipeline completed in S China

A 1.67-kilometer-long test section of a huge 113.2 kilometer-long water pipeline that will divert to the Dongjiang basin the rich water resources of the Xijiang River, the main branch of the Pearl River, has recently been completed and started testing to collect relevant data for the gigantic water conservancy project in this special economic zone of Guangdong province.

The test section will provide valuable experience and relevant data for and speed up construction of the entire Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project, estimated to cost 35.4 billion yuan ($5.1 billion), said Li Daimao, deputy general manager of Guangdong GDH Pearl River Delta Water Supply Co Ltd.

The project, which started construction about six months ago, has become the largest water conservancy project ever constructed in prosperous Guangdong province, the window of China's reform and opening-up.

The project, one of the top five largest water conservancy projects in China, will be completed and start diverting water in May 2024, said Li.

"The project will be able to annually divert more than 1.7 billion cubic meters of Xijiang River water from the Xingtan township in Foshan's Shunde district in the western part of Guangdong to Dongjiang basin in Shenzhen's Guangming district upon completion, playing an important role in alleviating the pressure of drinking water shortages in the prosperous Shenzhen and Dongguan cities in the eastern part of the Pearl River delta, benefitting more than 50 million residents," said Li.