East China's Jinan city has launched a water conservation campaign as its most famous spring comes dangerously close to running dry, local officials said.

Water levels at Baotu Spring continued to drop in recent weeks to 27.82 meters, just above the 27.60-meter red warning line.

Water levels at the site have dropped more than 10 cm in the past ten days. Low rainfall and rising agricultural water consumption have been blamed.

Baotu Spring is one of the finest of the 72 springs in Jinan, capital city of Shandong province. It began to experience seasonal hiccups in the early 1970s, with two and a half years in which the spring completely dried up for periods.

Citizens have been encouraged to reduce water use to protect the spring from drying up, said officials with the municipal water conservation office.

Northern and eastern regions of China have long experienced water supply issues amid rapid urbanization and growing demands, with overused underground water dropping to an alarming level in many areas.