China: Promoting Water-Saving and Conservation in Hunan Province

In 2015, the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau launched the building of water-saving units and implemented several actions to save water and promote water efficiency:

(1) Strengthen organizational leadership and improve the management system

In 2015, the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau launched the building of water-saving units, established a water conservation office within the Bureau, designated a water-saving commissioner, implemented the water-saving post responsibility system, and formulated a water-saving management system. In 2019, the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau revised the Water-saving Management System of the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau in accordance with the requirements for the building of water-saving units in the water conservancy industry. In 2021, the Bureau further improved the water-saving management system and mechanism, and formulated a range of systems including Water-saving Work Conference System, Water Metering Management System, Water-saving Statistics System, Daily Inspection and Regular Maintenance System of Water Facilities, Planned Water Consumption and Quota Management System, and Water Conservation Reward and Punishment System.

(2) Implement water-saving technologies and practices

Since 2018, the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau has invested RMB 1.467 million in the water-saving transformation of central air conditioning, the procurement of water-saving and water purification systems, and the water-saving technical transformation of office buildings. All water-using appliances and equipment have been updated to water-saving appliances and equipment to save water from the source. The online water metering system has been introduced, with 10 electronic water meters installed in the secondary water consumption units and main water use areas, realizing remote meter reading and valve control. The Bureau has also carried out the inspection and repair of pipeline leakage, and repaired 2 historical leakage points.

(3) Increase publicity and education to create a water-saving atmosphere

The Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau has compiled and printed the Water Conservation Behavior Manual for Water Conservancy Staff, Water Conservation Proposal and Water Conservation Knowledge Manual, which are distributed to the employees of the units and the residents of the office compound. The Bureau has organized special lectures on water conservation knowledge, inviting the legal counsel of the Bureau to interpret the Hunan Provincial Water Conservation Management Measures for cadres and employees. Water-saving slogans are pasted next to the faucets in the toilets, water-saving posters are hung on each working floor and in front of the water conservancy restaurant, a series of themed publicity boards of "Family Water-saving Tips" are placed in the lobby of the office building, two new LED display boards are erected in front of the office building for rolling display of water-saving propaganda slogans, and public service videos and documentaries about water-saving knowledge are played every month in the lobby on the first floor, to convey the concept of water-saving to employees and publicize water-saving knowledge in multiple dimensions.

(4) Utilization of unconventional water sources

An unconventional water storage and utilization system has been established to collect rainwater from the roof of the office building of the Water Conservancy Bureau, wastewater from pure water purifiers, and condensate from air conditioners, which are stored to a 300 m³ storage tank after precipitation, filtration and disinfection and used for greening and cleaning in the office compound of the Water Conservancy Bureau, with a designed annual available rainwater volume of 1225 m³. When the water storage is enriched in rainy season, the excess water is discharged into the municipal pipe network through the overflow holes.

As of November 2023, there were a total of 2,388 public-institution water-saving units installed in Hunan Province. The office compound of Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau installed three water savings 3 units (on the 4th floor used by the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau, the 5th floor used by the Chenzhou Municipal Rectification Office for Deep-seated Traffic Problems, and the 6th floor used by the Immigration Affairs Center of the Chenzhou Municipal Reservoir Area, and the 7th floor used for meeting room and storage room in common). In 2022, the three units had a total of 157 employees, 122 permanent office personnel, 12 property service personnel, and a total of 134 water users. The annual water consumption was brought down from 1611.52 m³, 1586.20 m³, and 1439.36 m³ respectively in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

With the development of water conservation, the per capita water consumption has decreased year by year, which performs better than the advanced value of 15 m³/person in the Hunan Province Water Quota (DB43/T 388-2020), and decreased by 37.4% in 2022 when compared with that at the commencement of building of water-saving units (in 2015), showing remarkable water conservation results. The Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau was awarded a series of honorary titles as a water-saving unit, such as the "Provincial Water-saving Unit", "Hunan Provincial Water-saving Institution in Water Conservancy Industry", and "Hunan Provincial Water-saving Benchmarking Unit". Besides, the Bureau has published its publicity report summary about water-saving construction, Hunan Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau: Building a Water-saving Carrier and Water Conservancy Model, on the official website of the National Office of Water Conservation, providing a water-saving model for public institutions to build a national innovation demonstration zone with the theme of "sustainable use and green development of water resources" in Chenzhou City.

The table below provides the “Main Water Indicators for the Past Three Years in the Chenzhou Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau”.