5.1 Water Resource Allocation in China
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the abstraction would cause significant harm to a third party or social public interests
(Article 20).
5.1.3 Water Resource Allocation in Public Water Supply
System
For the majority of water usage, the entities that hold the water abstraction permit
supply the water they take to individual water users rather than using the water
themselves; this includes public water supply companies (in urban regions) and
the organizations responsible for managing and operating irrigation districts. An
allocation process typically exists for assigning water to users within these systems.
In irrigation districts in China (which are often huge areas encompassing thousands or tens of thousands of individual “farms”), water is typically allocated based on
irrigation scheduling systems that were established during the design of the district.
Generally, the scheduling system will be formulated according to the reliability of
the supply, canal system efficiency, the irrigable land, crop patterns, and crop requirements. In some of the old irrigation districts, water scheduling and sharing arrangements have been in place for hundreds or even thousands of years. In most instances,
the entitlements of individuals within the system are generally well understood,
although they are often undocumented.
Urban water supply systems are generally more complicated. In addition to regulation via the water abstraction permit, a commercial contracting system is used for
managing water supply and use. The rights and responsibilities of the suppliers and
users in relation to water resource allocation are governed both by water supply and
use contracts between these parties and by the water supply plans. These plans and
contracts cover matters such as the price paid for water services, the rate and pressure
of water supply, metering obligations and standards for meters, and the quality of
water supplied. For non-residential users, the contract will also include a maximum
volume. These mechanisms are required and managed under the 1994 Urban Water
Supply Regulation, 1989 Urban Planning Law, 1999 Contract Law, 2006 Regulation on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee
Collection, and 2007 Urban Water Supply Quality Management Provisions. As part
of the application process for a water abstraction permit, a public water supply organization is required to identify the purpose of use, the quantity required, and the
monthly use pattern. This information broadly identifies how the volume abstracted
(and authorized under the permit) will be allocated within the public water supply
system (Martin and Shen 2009).
121
the abstraction would cause significant harm to a third party or social public interests
(Article 20).
5.1.3 Water Resource Allocation in Public Water Supply
System
For the majority of water usage, the entities that hold the water abstraction permit
supply the water they take to individual water users rather than using the water
themselves; this includes public water supply companies (in urban regions) and
the organizations responsible for managing and operating irrigation districts. An
allocation process typically exists for assigning water to users within these systems.
In irrigation districts in China (which are often huge areas encompassing thousands or tens of thousands of individual “farms”), water is typically allocated based on
irrigation scheduling systems that were established during the design of the district.
Generally, the scheduling system will be formulated according to the reliability of
the supply, canal system efficiency, the irrigable land, crop patterns, and crop requirements. In some of the old irrigation districts, water scheduling and sharing arrangements have been in place for hundreds or even thousands of years. In most instances,
the entitlements of individuals within the system are generally well understood,
although they are often undocumented.
Urban water supply systems are generally more complicated. In addition to regulation via the water abstraction permit, a commercial contracting system is used for
managing water supply and use. The rights and responsibilities of the suppliers and
users in relation to water resource allocation are governed both by water supply and
use contracts between these parties and by the water supply plans. These plans and
contracts cover matters such as the price paid for water services, the rate and pressure
of water supply, metering obligations and standards for meters, and the quality of
water supplied. For non-residential users, the contract will also include a maximum
volume. These mechanisms are required and managed under the 1994 Urban Water
Supply Regulation, 1989 Urban Planning Law, 1999 Contract Law, 2006 Regulation on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee
Collection, and 2007 Urban Water Supply Quality Management Provisions. As part
of the application process for a water abstraction permit, a public water supply organization is required to identify the purpose of use, the quantity required, and the
monthly use pattern. This information broadly identifies how the volume abstracted
(and authorized under the permit) will be allocated within the public water supply
system (Martin and Shen 2009).