The South-to-North Water Diversion Project brought Beijing 4.2 billion cubic meters of water from Danjiangkou Reservoir as of the end of 2018, benefiting more than 12 million people, according to Yang Jinhuai, deputy director of the Beijing Water Authority.
The first phase of the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project began to transfer water to Beijing in late 2014. From 2017 to 2018, the project transferred 1.21 billion cubic meters of water to the Chinese capital.
Nearly 70 percent of the water was diverted to the waterworks, covering almost all of the urban areas as well as parts of the suburban Daxing, Mentougou, Changping and Tongzhou districts.
Yang said that, besides ensuring efficiency and securing domestic water, the diverted water also supplies Beijing's reservoirs and emergency reserve.
Since the project began supplying Beijing, Miyun Reservoir has received 450 million cubic meters of water. The reservoir's water storage has reached a record 2.58 billion cubic meters, and the water surface area has increased by 5,000 hectares, effectively improving the aquatic environment there.
The project has also replenished Beijing's underground water reserve, transferring more than 200 million cubic meters to Chaobai River.
Beijing has also gradually shut down wells in recent years and reduced the draining of underground water. In 2018, 294 locations that previously depended on well water were provided with municipal water, water supply pipelines in 392 old residential blocks were renovated, and 300 kilometers of pipelines were built or upgraded.
As a result, 280,000 more residents were able to use municipal water in 2018, and all of Beijing's urban areas have access to water. The underground water level in the capital city rose by 1.94 meters to 23.03 meters last year, or an increased total volume of 990 million cubic meters.