Water prices in Beijing are due to go up again in a move aimed at making residents think long and hard about conserving the precious resource.

Beijingers apparently use about 80 times more water than the average Japanese person.

This is in part due to inferior plumbing and to not heeding calls to conserve water.

Water for residential purposes is expected to go up to 4.5 yuan per cubic metre from 3.7 yuan, the Beijing Times reports.

Some residents were understanding about the new price and the reason for it.

"The price hike is not unexpected," said Ma Hua, 58, a resident in Huixinli.

"The city has been thirsty for many years and the situation is no better elsewhere in China."

Ma is probably not a typical water consumer though; her husband is a retired employee with the city's water authority which means she appreciates the country's lack of water better than most people.

For years she has used water from her washing machine to clean the floor.

Other residents were not so relaxed about a rise in prices.

"The new prices may mean nothing to people on high incomes. But it is different for the rest," complained Xiao Zhanguo, a taxi driver.

Yu Yaping, an official with the Beijing Water Authority, said the final schedule for the new prices is subject to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.

He said the prices would hopefully act as "a kind of lever to improve people's lavish water consuming style."

Wang Jianhua, a deputy to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, supported the introduction of the price lever, saying it was one of the most effective ways to prevent people from using so much water.

Dripping water

Many people seem to care little about dripping water from a leaky tap, but that causes a lot of waste, Wang said.

The current price of 3.7 yuan per cubic metre consists of 2.8 yuan to buy the water and 0.9 yuan for sewage disposal.

Last year, water cost 2.9 yuan (35 cents) per unit.

Liu Peng from the water conservation office of the Beijing Water Authority said the city is campaigning to conserve water.

Newly built public buildings and residential communities are required to have water recycling facilities, Liu said.

(China Daily May 20, 2005)