Yangquan city in the eastern part of Shanxi province continued to promote the construction of water conservancy infrastructure and focused on the safety of drinking water in poverty-stricken villages and low-income villages in 2019, according to local officials. 

The city invested 38.4 million yuan ($5.59 million) in building 104 drinking water safety improvement projects last year, which benefited 126 local villages, including 21 poverty-stricken villages and 44 low-income villages.

Officials said there are 328 low-income villages in the city. Of these, 121 villages have various drinking water safety problems such as substandard water quality and an inadequate water supply.

To solve these problems, Yangquan water conservancy bureau invested a large amount of special funds in rural areas. By installing water purification facilities, replacing water sources, maintaining deep wells and constructing undertow-interception works in existing 913 drinking water projects, the bureau has ensured drinking water safety in the countryside, officials said. 

The 130 poverty-stricken villages in the city have now reached national standards of drinking water safety, through years of efforts by the local government in drinking water quality improvements, combined with poverty alleviation action.