BEIJING, Nov. 15 -- The first phase of the eastern route of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project has benefited more than 68 million people in east China's Shandong Province in its decade-long operation, China South-to-North Water Diversion Co., Ltd. said Wednesday.

It has transferred 6.14 billion cubic meters of water to Shandong since it began supplying water in November 2013, according to the company.

China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project has three routes. The eastern route transfers water from eastern Jiangsu Province to regions including Shandong, Hebei, and Tianjin.

With a length of 1,467 km, the first phase of the eastern route of the water project transfers water from the Yangtze River to Shandong, utilizing canals and pump stations.

The middle route is the most prominent one, starting at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and running across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin. It began supplying water in December 2014.

The western route is still at the planning stage.