Desalinated seawater has become an important source of water in China, making up for fresh water shortage, officials said today.
China has built 112 water desalination facilities with a combined daily treatment capacity of 1.08 million cubic metres, said Yang Shangbao, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission.
"Seawater desalination has provided an important supplementing water source and provided a strategic reserve in China," Yang said at an international meeting in Hangzhou, capital of eastern China's Zhejiang Province.
He said an industry had taken shape to make comprehensive use of seawater.
About half of current desalination facilities are used for providing water for public use, such as for water used in urban landscaping, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
"Membrane technology has already made it feasible to recycle polluted water for drinking," said Xing Weihong, deputy principal of Nanjing University of Industry, at the 4th China (West Lake) International Seawater Desalination and Water Reutilisation Meeting.
With the technology, several water desalination plants in northern China have started to process seawater to ease acute water shortages," said Xing, who is attending the three-day meeting.
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