Water basin management for Nansi Lakes, Shandong

The water diversion project from south to north, which is under construction in the East Diversion Route, and that of the Middle and West Diversion Routes, which are to be started in the near future, will substantially alleviate the acute shortage of water resources in the northern area and will realize the optimal allocation of water resources in China. The Nansi (South Four) Lakes Basin in Shandong Province as the hydraulic hinge of the Eastern Route Project under construction during the period 2001–2010 will receive water downstream of the Yangtze River and divert it to the Tianjin area, Shandong and Hebei provinces. However, the water is heavily polluted at present, rendering it unsuitable as a drinking water source. An integrated water management strategy of around 4 billion Yuan RMB or about US$49 million for the construction of municipal wastewater treatment plants and sewerage systems to combat point source pollution has been drawn up for the Nansi Lakes Basin in China. The scheme pays attention to non-point source pollution control and water reclamation and reuse, to ensure that the project of diverting water from south to north performs adequately, as well as to pave a way for sustainable development.