Shanghai will significantly raise the price of underground water
this year to encourage people and companies to use tap water where
accessible, and reduce the waste of underground resources.
The price increase is part of city plans to cut the amount of
underground water used in the city by 2010 to one-third of the
amount used last year in order to control land subsidence in
Shanghai, according to the Shanghai Water Authority.
The price increase will mainly affect small water plants in the
suburbs that depend on deep wells. Some beverage makers will be
given priority to use underground water.
"We will push further construction of big water plants in the
suburbs or increase supply from downtown water plants," the water
authority said in a written statement released yesterday.
Authority officials are still in discussions with local price
authorities about increasing the price of deep-well water. The
specific plan hasn't been finalized yet, but according to a
preliminary plan the rate is likely to be doubled for both
residential and industrial users.
The city has set a quota on the amount of underground water used
this year. The quota was set at 68 million cubic meters, of which 9
million cubic meters is allocated for areas within the Outer Ring
Road.
Baoshan District, which once depended heavily on small water
plants that draw water from deep well, has banned the use of all
deep wells this year.
The city also plans to pump 15 million cubic meters back
underground this year to counter land subsidence. About 10 million
cubic meters of that water will be pumped underground in the city's
central business district.
Last year, the city consumed 74.52 million cubic meters of
underground water. By 2010, the city will use less than 25 million
cubic meters.
The city is trying to control subsidence to less than 5
millimeters a year by 2010. The average land subsidence was 8.7
millimeters in 2004, mainly due to overuse of underground water
resources and the rapid construction of skyscrapers, according to a
geological report from a local research institute.
Excessive subsidence could damage underground infrastructure,
such as subway tunnels, pipes and flood management systems.
The city's subsidence is most noticeable in areas near the Puxi
section of the Nanpu Bridge and the Lujiazui financial district in
Pudong.
(Shanghai Daily February 24, 2006)