Major reservoir expected to benefit millions of residents in Chongqing

Construction work on Zaodu Reservoir, a Chongqing Qijiang District water conservancy project spending over 100 billion yuan (about $14.1 billion), celebrates its first tunnel holing-through on August 1.

In 2020, China launched 150 major water conservancy projects with a total investment of 1.29 trillion yuan to enhance the country's flood and drought relief capabilities.

Zaodu Reservoir is one of them and is incorporated into the construction plan of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in Southwest China. The site is on the Qijiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River.

94 km-long network of pipes benefits millions of people

As the first controlling node project of Zaodu Reservoir, the project aims to improve water security, irrigation, and flood control of towns along the Qijiang River. Meanwhile, it considers the utilization of power generation.

According to the Chongqing Water Resources Bureau, the reservoir has a storage capacity of 201 million cubic meters, and a 94 km-long network of pipes will irrigate an area of around 11,300 hectares which will benefit more than 3.4 million residents when completed in 2027.

"Zaodu Reservoir is the city's largest investment reservoir and the largest agricultural irrigation reservoir storage capacity," said the related person in charge of the Chongqing Water Resources Bureau. The work will involve power generators with 12 megawatts installed capacity, generating 44,9 million kilowatt-hours annually.

The project landed in the Qijiang District in the south of Chongqing. Over the years, the Qijiang basin suffered floods triggered by heavy rains in summer.

The dam of Zaodu Reservoir is 35 kilometers away from Qijiang urban area. The project will effectively regulate the water in the Qijiang River. Combined with other projects, including the transformation of the old bridges, and river dredging, it will significantly reduce economic losses caused by floods.

More secured regional water supply

Along with the accelerating process of industrialization, urbanization, and modernization of new rural areas in southern Chongqing, including Nanan District, Banan District, Jiangjin District, Qijiang District, and Wansheng Economic and Technological Development Zone, the water demand is growing.

"Zaodu Reservior will secure the water demand in southern Chongqing and promote high-quality economic and social development," said Zhang Jianbo, an official with the Chongqing Water Resources Bureau.

The Chongqing water conservancy has always emphasized the balance with nature. During the construction, the construction team formulated green construction standards, strengthening the protection of terrestrial and aquatic ecology.

Furthermore, this work is aided by smart technologies. The reservoir will create a digital twin model based on BIM technology and big data.