The Municipal Water Authority of Shanghai has nailed down a plan that will run until 2020 to try and use every precious drop of water it can to quench the coastal metropolis' thirst and allow sustainable development.

On the surface, Shanghai seems to be brimming with water as it located around a number of rivers. But due to heavy pollution, the city is in short supply of quality water and the problem is becoming increasingly serious, the authority's deputy director Chen Yin said.

Daily water consumption grows by about 6 per cent every year as the city develops.

"We have to make full use of this precious resource so as to support and improve people's living standards,'' Chen said.

The plan, recently approved by the municipal government, aims to create a water conservation mentality within the society and puts forward a definite goal for industries, the agriculture and service sectors and the city's residents.

The core of the internationally recognized thrift index system is based on water consumption for every 10,000 yuan (US$1,210) of gross domestic product.

Shanghai's annual figure is expected to drop from last year's 184 cubic metres to 52 cubic metres -- around the average figure for cities in developed countries -- in 2020, according to the authority. Shanghai's farming area will be reduced as a result of agricultural restructuring and more advanced irrigation technology will be implemented in a bid to push water consumption under 1.08 billion cubic metres per year by 2020.

The water volume consumed by agriculture was 1.755 billion cubic metres in 1999 and a large portion of that was wasted, the authority says.

The majority of the industrial sector will be made to save water through the continuation of structural readjustment and by adopting more advanced technology and equipment.

"Our water thrift plan will not hinder the improvement of residents' quality of living,'' Chen said. "But awareness has to be sharpened along with the installation of more water-saving household facilities.''

The water supply division of the water authority has conducted a survey of all water supply pipes and will take steps to stop any leaks.

To fulfil the long-term goal, the water authority is working with related governmental departments on an initial three-year plan.

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