BEIJING — China had improved the quality of water supplied to more than 270 million rural people by the end of 2020, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Jan 14. 

Through water diversion projects and exploring new water sources, North China's Hebei province reduced the level of fluorine in drinking water, benefiting more than 2.76 million rural residents, the ministry said.

Currently, 88 percent of rural residents receive centralized water supply and 83 percent have access to tap water, according to the ministry.