Full coverage: G20 Hangzhou Summit

With the G20 summit in Hangzhou just over two weeks away, one of the highest-profile issues on the agenda is formulating an action plan to implement the ambitious 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals. It includes battling water pollution and addressing issues of water shortage.

A two-hour drive from Hangzhou is Shanghai’s biggest reservoir. Shanghai sits at the point where the Yangtze River pours into the ocean. But the city has still suffered from water shortages caused by pollution. That was before the completion of the Qingcaosha reservoir.

On the right side of the dam is the Yangtze River. Every day on average, the dam provides more than 7 million cubic meters of water to the QingCaoSha reservoir, which in turn, supplies tap water for 14 million Shanghai residents. That is why the reservoir can be considered the city’s “source of life.”

More than three quarters of the tap water running in Shanghai comes from the Qingcaosha Reservoir in the northeast of the city at the mouth of Yangtze River. Spreading over 60 square kilometers, Qingcaosha can store 68 days of water supplies. The reservoir is guarded by troops who protect this source of water for millions of people.

“We cruise the lake surface at least twice every week for security checks, and the local water police dispatch a helicopter inspection team on a regular basis. Also land patrols are carried out at least once a day,” said Zhang Lizhuang, People’s Armed Police.

The Qingchaosha reservoir ensures the quality of tap water in Shanghai, but it also faces problems. It has had to stop inflows from the Yangtze River 16 times since 2010 to avoid pollution from oil leaks caused by ship collisions, chemicals discharged into the river by cargo ships, salt tides and algae blooms.

“The protection of the water source of Shanghai has been a priority for the local government. Early this year, authorities released a ‘Green Harbor three- year agenda’ in Shanghai, which regulates the administration of ports and ships as well as law enforcement. It contains 20 measures and 71 criteria,” said Ye Xing, head of Sci-tech Information of Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission.

The Qingchaosha reservoir is supposed to last for 100 years. But experts warn that could be cut to 10-20 years if stronger action is not taken soon.