Ministry of Water Resources: In the next two years, efforts will be concentrated on improving the water supply security level for 60 million rural residents.

　　According to a report by China National Radio's "National News Broadcast," the Ministry of Water Resources recently stated that in the next two years, efforts will be concentrated on improving the water supply security level for 60 million rural residents, ensuring that the drinking water safety issues for more than 800,000 impoverished people will be resolved by the end of this year.

　　By the end of 2018, China had built more than 11 million rural water supply projects, serving a rural population of 940 million, with a tap water penetration rate of 81%. However, with the development of the economy and society, rural water supply also faces some prominent issues. As of the end of 2018, there were still 1.043 million impoverished people in the country facing drinking water safety problems. Tian Xuebin, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, stated that in the next two years, efforts will be concentrated on improving the water supply security level for 60 million rural residents. "For provinces with heavier tasks, special plans will be formulated, closely monitored, and extraordinary measures will be taken to focus on advancing, ensuring that the drinking water safety issues for more than 800,000 impoverished people will be resolved by the end of this year, and comprehensively resolved next year."

　　Since rural water supply projects with a population of less than 1,000 account for over 99%, most are located in mountainous, pastoral, and remote areas, leading to poor sustainability of some projects. Tian Xuebin stated that rigid measures will be taken to establish a financial subsidy mechanism and promote the establishment of a long-term operation and maintenance mechanism for projects; guidance and supervision will be provided to various regions to adopt measures such as water source replacement, water quality purification treatment, and relocation for poverty alleviation to accelerate the resolution of drinking water fluoride exceedance issues.