Residents in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, will be the first in China to flush their toilets with seawater as part of efforts to fight worsening droughts.

While the southern province has introduced a long-distance water diversion system for relief, treated seawater is highly recommended as an alternative solution, if not a better one.

The United Nations lists China as being one of 13 countries with the worst water shortages in the world. Government figures show 300 Chinese cities are short of water, with 110 of those facing serious shortages.

According to the Shenzhen plan, areas close to the sea could start to use treated seawater to flush their toilets next year. However, it would be unrealistic to hope the scheme could cover the entire city as pipes do not last as long because of the corrosiveness of seawater, sources with the city's water resource department said.

The city has already implemented a system to use seawater in the electricity industry in recent years. Last year alone, three major power plants in Shenzhen, including Dayawan Nuclear Power Plant, consumed about 7.3 billion cubic meters of seawater.

The proposed use of seawater by civilians is aimed at dealing with any severe future water shortage.

According to the water resource department, at the speed of the current economic development and population growth rate, Shenzhen may face a shortfall of 846 million cubic meters of water a year. That would mean a daily shortage of 2.5 million cubic meters by 2010.

It is still a common practice across China to use freshwater to flush toilets. Doing so accounts for 30 to 35 percent of the total volume of water used for domestic purposes.

However, in Hong Kong, a seawater project backed with cash from the government has saved 230 million cubic meters of water a year.

That is 30 percent of the city's overall water consumption in 2002.

Wang Xiaobo, an employee of Shenzhen University Town in her 20s, supported the idea of flushing her toilet with seawater. "Washing out a toilet doesn't need high-quality clean water. Using seawater can save water and lower costs. I hope I can flush my toilet with seawater soon."

However, some residents were worried about the expense of the project.

Mao Shaoying, a housewife in her 30s, said she would not pay if water rates went up.

(China Daily March 3, 2005)