Shenzhen plans to buy a reservoir from neighboring Huizhou City to ease its water shortage.

The reservoir, about three kilometers from the Yonghu pumping station on the Dongjiang River, has the capacity to store 10 million cubic meters of water. The storage could be expanded to 100 million cubic meters, the Daily Sunshine reported.

Authorities in Shenzhen and Huizhou were discussing details of the proposed transaction, the newspaper said.

The storage capacity of Shenzhen reservoirs is only about 236 million cubic meters, a little more than the city's monthly water consumption.

The city faces an immediate water shortage when the Dongjiang River falls to low levels or if there is a breakdown in the Dongjiang River project.

Shenzhen has been experiencing a severe water shortage.

The water shortage is even more serious this year, the third consecutive year of drought.

In October, the city recorded only 0.6 millimeters of rain, much lower than the average of 80 millimeters in the past 30 years. The rainfall from January to October this year, 1,200 millimeters, was 36 percent less than usual.

The city's meteorological observatory said only three typhoons had affected the city this summer, two of which brought little rain. Typhoon Imbudo, which landed in Shenzhen this summer, resulted in only 30 millimeters.

Water levels of the city's reservoirs are now dangerously low.

"If any problems occur with Shenzhen's external water sources, Shenzhen will have little water to use," the Shenzhen Evening News quoted the meteorological observatory as saying.

Editor: Olivia