About 100,000 residents in Dongshan, Yuexiu and Haizhu districts hope to have direct access to potable water by the end of the year with the Nanzhou Water Plant starting operations on Friday (Oct. 15).

The water processing plant, said to be the largest with the most advanced technology in China, would supply 1 million cubic meter of fresh water daily, the Guangzhou Daily reported

Although the price of the water has been determined, it will be vastly cheaper than bottled water.

The water plant is a key element of the city's south water supply system which is costing 260 million yuan (US$31.4 million).

The water supply system involves pumping water from the Xihai Pumping Station, purification at the Nanzhou Water Plant and supplying Guangzhou University City and the Pearl River New Town through two 26-kilometer pipelines.

Pipes were being laid in Dongshan, Yuexiu and Haizhu districts. Upon completion, nearly 100,000 residents in these areas will have direct tap water from the Nanzhou Water Plant.

To meet the city's future development, the Nanhzou water plant will be expanded with more affiliated projects in a second phase. Another water supply network will be built to provide water of different quality to meet different standards and requirements.

Before construction of the Nanzhou water plant, Shixi Water Plant, the only one in southern Guangzhou, could handle only 300,000 cubic meters of water, a bottleneck for the area's economic growth.

Editor: Olivia