AMR Development Trend in China¡¯s Water Sectors(continued)
Chinese Water Sectors
As per the national statistics about the Country¡¯s resources in year 2003, the total amount of the Country¡¯s water resources are 2746 billion cubic meters, of which 63% are surface water,20% ground water and 17% are duplicated measurement between surface and ground water.
As per China national statistics, of nationwide more than 600 cities, there are 400 cities under the shortage of water, 100 cities are facing serious problems. According to international standards, China has 54% population,50% provinces and 76% cities areunder the conditions of insufficient water supply or shortage of water supply. As the improvement of industry fast development and people's living standard,the shortage ofwater resources becomes more visible. As per the State statistics, China is short of water annually about 6 billion cubic meters, it is influencing about 200 billion RMB Yuan of industry production values. After making research about the various reasons of the water shortage,it was realized that one reason is that the aging and disrepair of water supply pipes formed water "run, overflow, drop and leak". Another major reason is that the measurement devices are technically behind with low sensitivity and no measurement on starting flow.
As the sufficient emphasis attached by the Chinese government to the protection ofnational energy and environment, Chinese water industry has been greatly developed inrecent years, the number of water users under direct measurement of water supervisionnetwork has reached more than 20 million so far, and are growing annually at a rate of more than 25%.
Water fees collection in China
Since China started reform and opening to outside world, people¡¯s living conditions have greatly improved, the former meter reading and billing approach can not meet the market requirement, disadvantages have been very obvious which make the meter reading and billing (fee collection) becomes the most difficult problems in utility daily operation and management.
The main reasons of water fee collection difficulties are analyzed as below:
Difficult to enter residential households
Due to the improvements of people¡¯s living conditions, residential households arenormally decorated. People have attached more attention to privacy. But meterreading personnel normally can only work at early morning and late evening timewhen people are off working, especially in summer time, it is even more difficult to enter rooms for meter reading. People are reluctant when requested entering therooms for meter reading. Therefore meter reading and fee collection of residentialhouseholds have been a difficult problem to utilities. Outstanding payment for water usage is very serious.
Difficult to enter residential households
