【Haichuan EPC】Temporary water use during construction isn’t as simple as just turning on a faucet – do you know what needs to be taken into account?

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This post was last edited by HaiChuanLaoYu on 2025-10-18 at 17:45. Before the construction of a factory project begins, there are always some temporary tasks that need to be carried out: providing access to water and electricity, as well as setting up temporary facilities. All of these may need to be handled by the plant construction team themselves, as the project is still in its very early stages and some suppliers have not yet been identified; therefore, the team may have to take matters into their own hands to carry out the necessary procedures. Today, I’ll start by talking about temporary water supply. Temporary water supply refers to the various methods used to meet the water needs of construction sites before official water pipelines are installed. Temporary water use at construction sites mainly includes three types: water for production, water for domestic use, and water for firefighting. Production water includes water used for construction work and water for construction machinery ； Domestic water includes water for use at the construction site and water for use in the residential area ； Firefighting water refers to the water used for temporary firefighting at construction sites. There are two ways to implement water access near water bodies: drawing water directly and connecting to public pipelines. Today I will talk about the former method of drawing water directly. Water extraction refers to a method of obtaining water from facilities such as gates, dams, canals, artificial waterways, pumps, wells, and hydroelectric stations; it is generally employed when natural water sources are nearby or when access to public water supply pipelines is inconvenient. When using this method, it is important to follow the proper procedures: apply for a water withdrawal permit and pay the water resource fees. According to Article 2 of the Water Law of the People’s Republic of China (amended in 2016): “...The water resources referred to in this Law include surface water and groundwater.” ”Article 3: “Water resources belong to **all.” The ownership of water resources is exercised on behalf of the State Council. ……”, and Article 7: **A water withdrawal permit system and a paid-use system shall be implemented for water resources in accordance with the law. ……”According to the regulations, water resources include surface water and groundwater; ownership of these resources belongs to **. Entities and individuals who wish to draw water must apply to ** for a water use permit and pay a certain fee. In accordance with this law, the Ministry of Water Resources also revised the Regulations on the Administration of Water Withdrawal Permits and Water Resource Fees in 2017. Water withdrawal, as defined in this regulation, refers to the direct extraction of water resources from rivers, lakes, or underground through water withdrawal projects or facilities. The regulation stipulates that entities and individuals who draw on water resources shall, except in the following circumstances, apply for a water withdrawal permit and pay a water resource fee: (1) Rural collective economic organizations and their members using water from the ponds and reservoirs of such collective economic organizations ； (II) Water used for family life, as well as for the occasional watering of livestock and poultry kept in free-range or confined conditions, in small quantities ； (III) Temporary emergency water extraction (or drainage) is necessary to ensure the safety of construction and operations in underground projects such as mines ； (IV) Water extraction on an emergency basis to eliminate threats to public safety or the public interest ； (5) Water taken temporarily for emergency use to combat drought in agriculture and to protect the ecosystem and environment. Therefore, both connecting a water pipe to the river at a construction site and digging deep wells privately require going through the aforementioned procedures. Various regions have also introduced local management policies; for example, Pinghu in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, has issued the \"Interim Measures for the Management of Water Extraction for Construction Projects in Pinghu City\", which classifies water extraction at construction sites based on an annual volume of 500,000 cubic meters. The competent authority for handling water withdrawal procedures is generally the local water resources bureau. The documents generally required for processing are the \"Water Resources Assessment Report for Construction Projects\" and the \"Application for Water Withdrawal Permit\". In practice, under certain special circumstances at construction sites, it may not be necessary to go through the procedures for obtaining water access. For example, a company located near a river may dig an underground reservoir on its premises to collect rainwater, which is then used as a water source for production activities there. For those who draw water without going through the proper procedures, the following administrative penalties may be imposed: Article 69 of the Water Law states: “In case of any of the following acts, the water administration department of the people’s government at or above the county level, or the river basin management agency, shall, in accordance with its authority, order the cessation of such illegal activities, require the imposition of remedial measures within a specified time limit, and impose a fine of not less than 20,000 yuan but not more than 100,000 yuan.” ； In serious cases, their water withdrawal permits shall be revoked: (1) Drawing water without approval ； (II) Water is drawn not in accordance with the conditions specified in the approved water withdrawal permit. ”