Shanghai plans to build a new water supply source at Chongming Island to meet increasing water consumption demands, according to local government.

The water supply source, the third in the metropolis, is expected to lift the city's daily water supply capacity to 12.6 million cubic meters from 10.58 billion cubic meters.

The water supply source will be built at Chongming Island on an estuary of the Yangtze River. Investment will total about 12 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion).

The major urban water supply now mainly come from the upper reaches of the Huangpu River, which provides about 80 percent of the water consumed in the city. The other water source is based at the Chenhang section of the Yangtze River, which provides 20 percent of the city's water consumption.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2006)