BEIJING, Jan. 12 -- The eastern and middle routes of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project have transferred 8.54 billion cubic meters of water, official data showed Friday.

Water quality of the two routes has reached the standard stably throughout the year, Jiang Xuguang, chairman of the China South-to-North Water Diversion Corporation Limited, said, adding that the water diversion task of the two routes for this year has started.

The country's South-to-North Water Diversion Project has three routes. The middle route, which is the most prominent one, begins at the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province and runs across Henan and Hebei before reaching Beijing and Tianjin.

The eastern route has transferred water from east China's Jiangsu Province to areas including Tianjin and Shandong. The western route is still in the planning stage.

Jiang said that 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive operation of the two routes. The company will strengthen the management of the water transfer process to ensure the safety, water supply, and water quality of the mega project.

The project has thus far transferred over 68 billion cubic meters of water, benefitting over 176 million people.