Shanghai is now fully capable of coping with its demands for quality water, said Shanghai Municipal Water Supplies Bureau (SMWSB) Tuesday.

According to a document released by SMWSB Tuesday, water supply and demand are more or less balanced in Shanghai with a daily average supply amounting to 7.41 million cubic meters in May. Shanghai's maximum water supply capacity totals 10.64 million cubic meters everyday, far exceeding the current supply margin.

The bureau acknowledges that imbalance of water demands and supplies might occur in certain industries, in certain areas or in certain periods of time as the municipality presses ahead with its economic and social growth. The water administration will better coordinate the city's water resources so as to ensure the city and its people live with adequate water supply.

In the first five months of 2004, water quality of the upstream of Huangpu river, which flows through the city of Shanghai and constitutes its major water source, reported excessive Ammonia and Nitrogen contents. But recent statistics available from Shanghai Water Quality Monitoring Center show that water quality has returned to normal and complies with the national norm.

In order to stabilize water quality of Huangpu River, the SMWSB and other relevant municipal departments have been stepping up their environmental protection and water monitoring efforts to guarantee clean water supply to 16 million Shanghai residents, said the document.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2004)