Beijing announced new regulations to ban urban landscape from using tap water

Urban landscape such as fountains and man-made lakes will be prohibited from using underground water or tap water. On September 14, reporters learned from the Beijing Office of Legislative Affairs that a document titled "Regulations for water pollution control in Beijing (draft for review and approval)" has been publicized online, so residents can express their opinions about the new measures before October 9.

Encouraging the use of recycled water is one of the highlights in the new measures. According to the regulations, the use of rainwater and recycled water should be prioritized in order to preserve Beijing's ecological environment, and urban water attractions will be banned from using underground water or tap water.

To encourage the use of recycled water, the government at various levels will formulate policies and take action to develop users of industrial recycled water and expand the use of recycled water in agricultural irrigation. The regulations also stipulate that within the coverage of recycled water distribution networks, water used for landscaping, sanitation and construction projects must be recycled water.

Sources of surface drinking water will also be better protected. According to the regulations, vehicles loading with poisonous and or hazardous substances will not be permitted to enter water protection zones; cage-breeding of fish will be banned; water-related tourism, swimming or other types of activities that may cause water pollution will be prohibited.

Personnel who organize water-related tourism activities in water protection zones or engage in cage-breeding fish will be fined 20,000 to 100,000 yuan. Any individual who goes swimming or fishing in the first-grade protection zones, which are used as a source of drinking water, will be fined 500 yuan or below.

In addition, the regulations also specify a compensation system for those riverside districts and counties located downstream of polluters. If the districts and counties located upstream fail to meet the water quality targets that will be tested from the banks at various parts of stream, the people's governments there will pay compensation to their neighboring districts or counties located downstream, who are the ones that will be affected by the polluted water.

In order to finally improve the ecological and environmental water situation, Beijing will also put a limit on total water consumption to gradually achieve a balance between water consumption and water resources.