At a recent State Council policy regular briefing, a relevant official from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, while introducing the situation regarding the "Regulations on Water Conservation" and answering reporters' questions, stated that China has so far built 11 batches totaling 145 national water-conserving cities. Nationwide, cities use about 18 billion cubic meters of reclaimed water each year, with a reclaimed water utilization rate of 29%.

The official introduced that in recent years, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has deeply advanced urban water conservation work, integrating water-saving requirements throughout the entire process of urban planning, construction, and governance, comprehensively promoting the construction of water-conserving cities, and improving urban water use efficiency, achieving certain results.

First, improving the urban water conservation system and establishing a long-term mechanism. A series of systems have been established and improved, including urban water conservation planning, planned water use and quota management, and water conservation statistics. The "three simultaneous" requirement for water conservation is implemented in various construction projects, namely that water-saving facilities are designed, constructed, and put into use simultaneously with the main project. Guidelines and work manuals for urban water conservation have been issued successively to guide localities in systematically and standardizedly advancing urban water conservation work.

Second, building a standards and specifications system and promoting scientific and technological innovation. A series of standards and specifications have been formulated, including those for domestic water-use fixtures, water conservation in civil buildings, wastewater reclamation and reuse, leakage control of water supply networks, and green buildings. Through the constraints of standards and specifications, technological innovation and equipment research and development are promoted.

Third, comprehensively promoting the construction of water-conserving cities and improving water use efficiency. In 2022, a new version of the national water-conserving city evaluation standards was released to guide localities in advancing urban water conservation, strengthening facility construction and the implementation of various systems. For 32 consecutive years, the "National Urban Water Conservation Publicity Week" has been held. Through building water-conserving units, water-conserving enterprises, and water-conserving residential communities, the social foundation for water-conserving city construction has been continuously consolidated. At the same time, the reclamation and reuse of urban wastewater has been continuously advanced, the production and distribution capacity of reclaimed water has been enhanced, and pilot projects related to reclaimed water utilization have been carried out in 116 cities. Since 2015, sponge city construction has been deeply advanced, with pilot demonstrations carried out in 90 cities nationwide, achieving natural accumulation, natural infiltration, and natural purification of rainwater, and improving the level of on-site absorption and on-site utilization of rainwater resources.

The official stated that next, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will, in accordance with its responsibilities, guide localities in effectively implementing the "Regulations on Water Conservation," further improve water resource utilization efficiency, and promote high-quality urban development.