River chief system improves Hechi's water quality

Hechi's surface water quality ranked fifth among the 337 prefecture-level and above cities across China, according to data released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Aug 19.

Hechi was ranked first on the same list in July of 2020, and the city's water quality is often listed as top 10 among the country. The continuous remarkable results show that Hechi has become an area with one of the highest-quality water levels in the country.

Hechi focused on extensive development in the past relying on its advantageous resources of non-ferrous metals and hydropower, which caused severe water pollution. In order to control water pollution, the city shut down nearly 100 heavy metal enterprises and promoted industrial transformation and upgrading. In 2017, the city fully implemented the river chief system and set up 2,875 river chiefs, in order to explore the long-term management mechanism for improving water quality.

The measures have made remarkable results. Hechi ranked in the forefront of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region for three  consecutive years in the river chief system evaluation. The city has won several honors from the Ministry of Water Resources since 2020, and it is a prefecture-level city in Guangxi with the most awards.

The excellent water quality has benefited high-quality development and people's livelihood. There are 1.57 million people in the city having solved drinking water difficulties.

The Longtan Hydropower Station reservoir in Hechi. [Photo/VCG]