BEIJING, Sept. 26 -- Water reclaimed from treated residential sewage and collected rainwater has become the second most important urban water supply source for the Chinese capital of Beijing, according to the municipal water authority.

In the year 2023, the city recycled 1.28 billion cubic meters of water, of which 1.18 billion cubic meters was used for ecological and environmental purposes to replenish the city's natural water resources, according to the department's data.

"The amount of recycled water accounted for nearly 30 percent of the city's total water consumption last year, a record high, making it the stable second water source in Beijing," said Fu Chaochen, Beijing Water Authority director of sewage treatment and reclaimed water management.

Since the beginning of 2023, Beijing has extended its sewage collection pipe network by 729 km and renovated 50 km long rainwater drainage pipelines. The city's sewage treatment capacity has reached 7.85 million cubic meters per day, said Fu.

Six water recycling plants are currently under construction in Beijing. Meanwhile, the water authority has launched a massive cleaning work of rainwater drainage ditches and outlets for better rainwater collection.