South-to-North Water Diversion Project reaches 80 billion cubic meter milestone

The middle route of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project has surpassed a milestone of transferring 80 billion cubic meters of water. Over its nearly 12-year operation, the project has benefited approximately 118 million people across 27 cities in Henan, Hebei, Tianjin, and Beijing.

In Beijing, the transferred water now accounts for nearly 80% of the central urban area's supply, benefiting over 16 million residents. In Tianjin, the project provides a dual-source water security guarantee for over 13 million citizens. In Hebei province, the recipient population comprises roughly 70% of the total provincial population.

Beyond human consumption, the project has played a critical role in ecological restoration. It has provided supplementary water to over 50 rivers and lakes, helping to reverse the decline of groundwater levels in the North China Plain. Notable environmental improvements include the stabilization of the Baiyangdian wetland and the recovery of various river systems across the Haihe basin.