The "Water Supply Regulations" are officially promulgated! Expert interpretation is here~

Premier Li Qiang signed State Council Order No. 831, promulgating the "Water Supply Regulations" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), which will come into effect on June 1, 2026.

Build a solid foundation for the rule of law to ensure water supply safety

Deputy Director of China Irrigation and Drainage Development Center Hu Meng

Water supply safety is related to the livelihood and well-being of hundreds of millions of people. The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to water supply safety. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "drinking water safety is the bottom line of people's lives." The formulation and implementation of the "Regulations" coordinate urban and rural water supply at the level of administrative regulations for the first time, providing a strong legal guarantee for ensuring the safety of water supply for urban and rural residents and promoting the high-quality development of the water supply industry, and further solidifying the legal foundation for national water security and people's livelihood and well-being.

1. The importance of the promulgation of the Regulations

Entering a new stage of development, my country's urban and rural water supply pattern is undergoing profound adjustments. The prominent contradiction has shifted from "have it" to "is it good or not". The people have put forward higher requirements for the safety, stability and convenience of water supply. At the same time, the problem of unbalanced development of urban and rural water supply still exists, and there is an urgent need to promote the coordinated development of urban and rural water supply from the legal level. In recent years, many provinces have formulated local regulations or government regulations on rural water supply, which urgently need the support of higher-level laws; the national mandatory standard "Hygienic Standards for Drinking Water" has achieved the unification of urban and rural water supply quality standards from the standard level, and needs to be improved from the legal level; People's congress representatives and members of the CPPCC at all levels have repeatedly called for rural water supply legislation through suggestions, proposals, etc., and there is an urgent need for legislation to respond to people's demands. Therefore, the promulgation of the "Regulations" is an important measure based on my country's national conditions and water conditions, and actively responds to the development needs of the times and people's concerns. It is also an inevitable choice to promote the high-quality development of urban and rural water supply and ensure the safety of drinking water.

First, it provides strong support for promoting urban-rural integration and rural revitalization strategies. Water is the source of life, the key to production, and the foundation of ecology. The "Regulations" emphasize the overall planning of water supply project construction, coordinated development with urban and rural construction, and the promotion of integrated development of urban and rural water supply at the legal level. The "Regulations" pay attention to the safety of water supply, strengthen operation and maintenance, improve water supply stability and emergency response capabilities, and provide solid water supply support and legal guarantee for improving the rural living environment, promoting the revitalization of rural industries, and building a livable, industrial and beautiful countryside.

The second is a vivid manifestation of the practice of people-centered development thinking. Food is the first priority for the people, and water is the first priority for food. The "Regulations" adhere to the starting point and goal of ensuring and improving people's livelihood. By clarifying service standards, strengthening water quality testing, improving service convenience and other provisions, they strive to solve the urgent, difficult and anxious water supply safety issues of the people, and continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness and security.

The third is the engine of the rule of law that promotes the high-quality development of urban and rural water supply. The "Regulations" clearly define the boundaries of the rights and responsibilities of the government, enterprises and society, build a collaborative and efficient modern governance structure, and provide strong legal support for basically realizing the modernization of rural water supply by 2035. By building a mechanism that places equal emphasis on incentives and constraints, the Regulations encourage technological innovation and talent cultivation, guide the participation of social capital, and improve the price formation mechanism. They point out the direction for breaking development bottlenecks, stimulating endogenous motivation, and promoting digital and intelligent transformation. They will surely lead the water supply industry to a new stage of development with higher quality, more efficiency, and more sustainability.

2. Features and Highlights of the Regulations

The "Regulations" adhere to the unity of problem orientation and systematic thinking, embodying the overall and strategic nature, but also focusing on effectiveness and operability, and have formed a number of forward-looking and exemplary institutional arrangements.

(1) Ensure the safety of urban and rural water supply

Water supply safety is directly related to residents' health, public safety and social stability. The scope of application of the "Regulations" includes urban water supply and rural large-scale water supply. It clearly includes rural large-scale water supply from a legal perspective for the first time, and proposes to formulate separate management measures for rural water supply other than rural large-scale water supply. This is an important measure to promote the equalization of urban and rural water supply services. The "Regulations" are the first national-level legislation in the field of rural water supply, providing legal guarantee for rural water supply safety.

(2) Demonstrate the nature of water supply serving the people

Water supply quality and services affect thousands of households. The "Regulations" insist on service improvement as the core, and set clear obligations for water supply authorities and water supply units in ensuring stable water pressure, continuous water supply, information disclosure, and handling complaints, and require the provision of safe, convenient, continuous and stable, accurate measurement, open and transparent water supply services. These regulations not only meet the requirements of high-quality development and industrial upgrading for water supply reliability, but also respond to the people's yearning for a better life, laying a solid water supply foundation for ensuring that people live and work in peace and contentment. (3) Highlight the systematic nature of water supply guarantee

Water control according to law is a systematic project. The "Regulations" build a multi-level water supply safety defense line through systematic system design. The "Regulations" establish a full-process water supply guarantee system from "water source" to "faucet", clearly stipulating water supply sources, project construction, operation and services, facility management and protection, etc., to systematically prevent water pollution, engineering defects and operational risks. A special chapter stipulates emergency management and response, clarifies requirements for plan preparation, material reserves, risk management and control, rapid response and emergency response, and comprehensively improves the level of water supply safety and resilience.

(4) Strengthen the scientific and technological nature of development momentum

Without digital intelligence, there would be no modernization. The Regulations elevate technological innovation and talent cultivation to an important strategic position. It stipulates that the state encourages and supports the research and development, achievement transformation, promotion and application of water supply science and technology, strengthens the training of water supply talents, promotes the progress of water supply science and technology, and improves the automation, digitalization and intelligence level of water supply work. This will provide impetus for the innovative application of technical equipment in the fields of water supply water quality monitoring, pressure regulation, and pipe network leakage control, and promote the transformation of water supply from traditional management to digital and intelligent management.

(5) Improve the coordination of the responsibility system

Water supply security has many links, a long chain, and involves a wide range of departments. Clear division of powers and responsibilities and efficient departmental coordination are necessary. The "Regulations" strive to build a systematic responsibility framework, clarify that local people's governments at or above the county level bear the main responsibility for water supply safety, and coordinate the research and coordination to solve major water supply problems. It stipulates the regulatory responsibilities of local people's governments and relevant departments for water source protection, engineering construction, water supply operation services, water supply facility management and protection, etc. It stipulates the obligations of water supply units to strengthen inspections, operation and maintenance, ensure water supply quality, and ensure uninterrupted water supply. It stipulates the management requirements related to the safety of water supply facilities affected by construction activities and the obligations of users to ensure safety and save water, forming a governance pattern of "government coordination, departmental linkage, corporate responsibility, and social participation".

(6) Enhance the authority of laws and regulations

The Regulations establish the principle of equal emphasis on incentives and constraints. In terms of incentives, it is clearly stipulated that units and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in water supply work will be rewarded in accordance with relevant national regulations. This will help create an industry atmosphere that advocates hard work and positive actions. In terms of restraint, clear legal responsibilities are set for behaviors that endanger water supply safety, damage facilities, and service violations to enhance the authority and binding force of the law.

3. Strengthen the implementation of the Regulations

The rule of law is an important support for the national governance system and governance capabilities, and good laws are important in their implementation. After the promulgation of the Regulations, while strengthening study and publicity, the key is to transform them into actual effectiveness, pay more attention to the coordination of the rule of law with reform, development, and stability, and pay more attention to ensuring and promoting social fairness and justice. The following coordination needs to be done. First, we must coordinate regulations and standards. Accelerate the formulation and revision of relevant supporting systems and technical standards to form a scientific and standardized system of laws and regulations and standards that are connected from top to bottom. Second, we must coordinate regulations and planning. When formulating and implementing relevant plans and implementation plans, the "3+1" standardized construction and management model for rural water supply will be promoted. Third, we must coordinate regulations and policies. Through policy support and "two-hand efforts", we will continue to promote the modernization and transformation of water supply projects, actively cultivate and use new productive forces such as digital twins, and promote the high-quality development of water supply.

The "Water Supply Regulations" provide strong legal protection for rural water supply

Wu Xiaomei, senior engineer at China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower

Rural water supply is related to the health and well-being of hundreds of millions of rural residents, and the Party Central Committee and the State Council have always attached great importance to it. This Regulation adheres to the overall planning of urban and rural areas, promotes the joint development of rural water supply and urban water supply, and provides a strong legal guarantee for the healthy development of rural water supply.

01The issuance of the Regulations is of great significance to promoting the high-quality development of rural water supply

At present, my country's rural water supply has entered a new stage of high-quality development. In recent years, various regions have implemented the "3+1" standardized construction and management and maintenance model of rural water supply, and the ability and level of rural water supply security have been continuously improved. However, the problem of many weak links in rural water supply is still prominent, and there is still a certain gap compared with the requirements for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. In particular, my country lacks corresponding legal protection at the national level in regulating rural water supply management, and it is difficult to adapt to the actual needs of rural water supply in the new era. The "Regulations" include rural large-scale water supply into the scope of application for the first time, and propose to formulate separate rural water supply management methods other than rural large-scale water supply. This solves the dual problem of urban and rural water supply from the legal perspective. It is also an inevitable choice based on my country's national conditions and water conditions to promote the high-quality development of urban and rural water supply and ensure safe drinking water for urban and rural residents.

02The "Regulations" focus on building a full-chain regulatory system from water sources to faucets.

The Regulations are based on the actual situation of urban and rural water supply, focusing on the entire process of urban and rural water supply, and strive to build a comprehensive, systematic, scientific and reasonable standardized water supply system. Regarding water supply sources, it is clear that it is necessary to strengthen the construction of water supply sources and implement protection measures for drinking water source protection zones. Regarding the construction of water supply projects, it is proposed that local people's governments at or above the county level should strengthen the overall planning of water supply projects and coordinate development with urban and rural construction, and standardize the requirements for all aspects of water supply projects from survey, design, construction to supervision. Regarding water supply operations and services, it clarifies the conditions that water supply units should have, and the responsibilities and obligations of water supply units and users. It emphasizes that water supply units should continuously improve the quality and efficiency of water supply services, and users should save water safely and pay water fees on time. It also proposes to improve the rural water supply price formation mechanism, etc. Regarding the management and protection of water supply facilities, it is stipulated that the operation and maintenance of water supply facilities such as water sources, water plants, and water transmission and distribution pipe networks must be standardized, and safety protection measures must be implemented to prevent operational risks and ensure safe operation. Regarding emergency management and handling, clarify the requirements for plan formulation, material allocation, risk management and control, emergency response and disposal, etc., and standardize emergency response and emergency water supply management.

03 The "Regulations" clarify the responsibilities of all parties and exert the rigid restraint effect of the rule of law.

The "Regulations" clarify that local people's governments at or above the county level bear the main responsibility for ensuring water supply safety within their own administrative regions, and strengthen the government's responsibilities in organizing leadership, coordinating the resolution of major water supply problems, and ensuring funding; it clarifies that government departments are responsible for water supply-related work within their respective scopes of responsibility; and clarifies the management responsibilities of water supply units. The "Regulations" clarify that the state encourages and supports the research and development, achievement transformation, promotion and application of water supply science and technology, strengthens the training of water supply talents, promotes the progress of water supply science and technology, improves the automation, digitalization and intelligence level of water supply work, and rewards units and individuals with outstanding achievements in water supply work. At the same time, the "Regulations" clarify the legal responsibilities for behaviors that affect water supply safety, water supply project construction and management violations, and dereliction of duty in water supply work, and can effectively exert the rigid restraint effect of the rule of law.

After the "Regulations" are officially implemented, it is recommended to continue to explore all aspects of the operation of the regulations to ensure the implementation of the regulations; strengthen the publicity and implementation of the "Regulations", so that governments at all levels and relevant departments, enterprises, users and other various entities can ensure the full-process water supply in accordance with the regulations, and effectively promote the high-quality development of water supply.

Promote the construction of legal system for water supply

Promote high-quality development of rural water supply

Zhu Liusha, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Water Resources

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to rural drinking water safety. During his work in Zhejiang, he emphasized that "rural drinking water should be properly solved." In 2003, he personally deployed the "Drinking Water Project for Tens of Millions of Farmers", which provided important guidance for our country to fundamentally solve the rural water supply problem. As the people's drinking water needs progress from "having water to drink" to "drinking good water" to "constantly drinking good water", how to ensure that rural water supply projects can be well built, managed well, and profitable has become an urgent problem to be solved. The "Regulations" promulgated this time comprehensively regulate water supply work responsibilities, water supply sources, water supply operations and services, water supply facility management and protection, water supply emergency management and disposal, and legal responsibilities, and are of milestone significance in promoting rural water supply.

1. Clarify the responsibility system. Rural water supply, as a systematic livelihood project, covers a wide range and involves many factors. Only by building a responsibility system with "up-down linkage and left-right coordination" can we break the bottleneck of factors and improve overall efficiency. The "Regulations" establish a three-dimensional management system of "government leadership + department coordination + unit operation and management + technical support". In terms of vertical linkage, it is clarified that local people's governments at or above the county level have the main responsibility for the safety of water supply within their own administrative regions, coordinate the research and coordination to solve major problems in water supply work, and include the funds required for water supply work in the budget of the same level. In terms of departmental coordination, the responsibilities of natural resources, ecological environment, housing and urban-rural construction, water administration, market supervision and management, disease prevention and control and other departments are clarified to provide guarantee for giving full play to departmental synergy and forming work synergies. In terms of water supply transportation and management, it is clear that the water supply unit is responsible for operating and maintaining the water supply facilities under its management, conducting regular inspections and maintenance, carrying out safety risk monitoring and hidden danger investigation and management, and signing an operation service agreement with the water supply authority. In terms of technical support, encourage and support the research and development, transformation, promotion and application of water supply science and technology, strengthen the training of water supply talents, promote the progress of water supply science and technology, and improve the automation, digitalization and intelligence level of water supply work.

2. Highlight problem orientation. Lack of water and turbid water have always been the most prominent problems in rural drinking water safety. The "Regulations" adhere to a problem-oriented approach, seize the two key links of water source water and factory water, and make provisions for water source construction, water source protection, engineering construction, water quality testing and other related work to ensure sufficient water quantity and water quality standards. In terms of water quantity guarantee, the "Regulations" require reasonable arrangements and layout of water supply sources, and strengthening the construction of water supply sources; coordinating surface water and groundwater, local water and external water transfers to achieve multi-source complementarity; carrying out standardized construction of drinking water source areas in accordance with the law, and implementing protection measures for drinking water source protection areas; coordinating the allocation of drinking water source areas, and strengthening monitoring of hydrological and water resources in drinking water source areas. In terms of water quality assurance, the "Regulations" require the establishment of a drinking water source water quality monitoring, early warning and information sharing mechanism to investigate and assess the environmental conditions and pollution risks of drinking water source areas; update and transform water supply facilities that affect water supply quality, hinder water supply safety, and are aging and in disrepair; products related to drinking water hygiene and safety should comply with national health standards and hygiene regulations; water supply units should obtain health licenses in accordance with the law; regularly test the water quality of raw water, factory water and pipe network water; it is prohibited to connect self-constructed water supply facilities to the water supply facilities of water supply units without authorization.

3. Adhere to people’s livelihood. The voice of the masses is the first signal, and the satisfaction of the masses is the first criterion. The "Regulations" are based on improving the people's sense of gain and make relevant provisions on water supply operation, service, management, maintenance and emergency response. In terms of improving convenience, the "Regulations" require water supply units to disclose to the public water supply application and installation access procedures, service standards, tariff standards, water quality testing and other information in a manner that is easily known to the public, and provide information query services; through business outlets, online processing and other service channels, facilitate users to apply for water supply installation and installation access, etc. In terms of improving satisfaction, the "Regulations" require water supply units to establish a complaint handling mechanism for water supply service quality. If users are not satisfied with the handling results, they can complain to the water supply authority; if it is necessary to temporarily stop water supply due to engineering construction, equipment maintenance, etc., the water supply unit shall announce to the public 24 hours in advance or notify users in writing.

The promulgation and implementation of the "Regulations" marks that my country's urban and rural water supply industry has officially entered the track of legalization. In the next step, we need to conscientiously implement the "Regulations", comprehensively interpret the latest urban and rural water supply system regulations, and focus on the construction of water source projects, large-scale water supply development, and water supply pipeline network renewal in accordance with the requirements, further deepen the unified management of rural water supply in counties, promote full coverage of digital supervision, and continue to improve rural water supply security capabilities.

The promulgation of the "Water Supply Regulations" provides a strong legal guarantee for the integrated development of urban and rural water supply.

Deputy Director of Shaanxi Provincial Urban and Rural Water Supply Safety Center Pang Xiuming

The "Regulations" promulgated by the State Council include rural large-scale water supply within the scope of application, which provides a strong legal guarantee for the integrated development of urban and rural water supply and will further promote the high-quality development of the water supply industry.

1. The importance of water supply legislation

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that drinking water safety is a bottom line for people's lives, emphasizing that rural drinking water safety is an important symbol for consolidating the results of poverty alleviation and promoting comprehensive rural revitalization. In recent years, with the integrated development of urban and rural areas, the flow of urban and rural elements has become smoother. Urban water supply pipelines have gradually extended to rural areas, expanding water supply coverage. Drinking water for rural residents and urban residents has achieved the "five common" goals of urban and rural water supply from the same source, the same network, the same quality, the same supervision, and the same service. As of 2025, Shaanxi's urban pipeline network covers a rural population of 4.86 million, breaking the dilemma of the dual structure of urban and rural water supply, gradually realizing the integration of urban and rural water supply, making the urban and rural water supply system more optimized, and the level of water supply security more stable. In this context, the promulgation of the Regulations is very necessary and urgent. It not only fills the legal gap at the national level of rural water supply, expands and enriches the content of the Urban Water Supply Regulations, but also provides strong legal support for standardizing and promoting urban and rural water supply construction and management through the top-level and most rigid system construction.

2. Promote the integrated development of urban and rural water supply on the track of the rule of law

The guiding ideology of the "Regulations" is to adhere to the overall planning of urban and rural areas, promote the common development of urban and rural water supply, and strive to build a full-chain normative system from water sources to faucets, providing an institutional basis for deepening the integrated development of urban and rural water supply.

(1) Urban water supply and rural water supply have achieved the same laws and governance

The General Provisions clearly state at the outset that these Regulations shall apply to those engaged in water supply work, use of water supply and related management activities. The scope of application includes urban water supply and rural large-scale water supply, breaking the one-yuan water supply legal pattern of the "Urban Water Supply Regulations" issued by the State Council in 1994. In the top-level design, urban water supply and rural water supply are governed by the same laws and develop simultaneously, better adapting to economic and social development and the water supply needs of the people for a better life.

(2) Urban and rural water supply construction and management have achieved the same standards and regulations.

Chapters 2 to 7 of the main text of the "Regulations" no longer distinguish between urban water supply and rural water supply in terms of water supply sources, engineering construction, operation and services, facility management and protection, emergency management and disposal, and legal responsibilities. Unified standards and unified regulations are implemented, which further reflects the development of the water supply industry that adheres to the requirements of people-oriented and coordinated urban and rural development, and will effectively support the improvement of water supply safety assurance capabilities.

(3) The water quality of urban and rural water supply has been of the same quality and under the same supervision.

The "Regulations" put forward clear requirements for water supply quality. Water supply units should regularly test the quality of raw water, factory water and pipe network water in accordance with the testing indicators, testing frequencies and testing methods required by national regulations and relevant standards to ensure that the water supply quality meets the national drinking water hygiene standards. The water supply authorities of people's governments at or above the provincial level should work with relevant departments to improve the water supply quality monitoring system.

(4) Urban and rural water supply responsibilities and services have achieved the same responsibilities and services.

The "Regulations" strengthen responsibilities and services, clarify that local people's governments at or above the county level assume the main responsibility for the safety of water supply within their own administrative regions, strengthen the organization and leadership of water supply work, coordinate research and coordination to solve major problems in water supply work, and include the funds required for water supply work in the budget of the same level. The water supply authorities and other relevant departments shall, in accordance with the division of responsibilities, strengthen supervision and inspection of water supply operations and services, operation and maintenance of water supply facilities, etc. Chapter 4 Water Supply Operation and Services puts forward clear and detailed requirements for water supply units, which are closely consistent with the current "three responsibilities" and "three systems" of rural water supply and the improvement of county unified management and professional management and protection mechanisms. Its ultimate goal is to promote equalization of water supply services.

3. Strengthen the implementation of the Regulations

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the Regulations, we should focus on three aspects of work: First, do a good job in publicity and implementation. Various forms of publicity, interpretation and training of the "Regulations" shall be adopted to ensure that water conservancy departments, water supply units and water supply workers at all levels fully understand and accurately grasp the contents of the "Regulations" and create a good social atmosphere for the smooth implementation of the "Regulations". The second is to improve supporting systems. According to the "Regulations" and combined with the actual situation of urban and rural water supply, local laws and regulations will be revised and improved; more specific and more practical supporting regulations on water supply prices, water source construction and other related supporting regulations will be introduced in a timely manner to ensure the implementation of the "Regulations". The third is to strengthen supervision and inspection. Guide all localities to master and use the "Regulations" to carry out work, solve practical difficulties and legal disputes in water supply through the "Regulations", investigate and deal with illegal activities in accordance with the law, and safeguard the water rights and interests of urban and rural people.

Information source: China Water Conservancy