The banks of the Longyou River in Rugao are adorned with colorful trees. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

China's water resources and finance ministries recently released a list of pilot counties and districts for a national water resource improvement project in 2022.

Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, is among the only two entries in Jiangsu province, the other being Jiangyin in Wuxi.

Located in the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta, Rugao has 327 major rivers and 7,125 lakes, with a combined river length of 7,506.8 kilometers and a total annual runoff volume of 399 million cubic meters.

In recent years, the local government has rolled out efforts to improve its water resources by interconnecting and desilting rivers, restoring river banks, reducing pollution, and improving management.

Riverside areas have become multipurpose recreational spaces for local residents.

The national pilot project will receive 448 million yuan ($70.16 million) in investment to further upgrade the city's water system, especially in rural areas.

Detailed steps include interconnecting 16.17 km of river, restoring 39.2 km of river banks, and building two riverside landscape buildings, new septic tanks for 15,000 households and 19 pump stations.

Upon completion, the project will significantly improve local water quality and flood control and drainage capacity, safeguarding 397,400 residents and 284 hectares of farmland in 111 villages.