On May 23, 2025, the Ministry of Water Resources announced the official completion and operation of the National Water Resources Measurement Station, marking the entry of China's water resources management into the era of 'millimeter level precision measurement'. This metering station, built by the China Academy of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, is equipped with three of the industry's highest metering standards, including the static mass method water flow standard device. It can accurately calibrate five types of measuring instruments, including electromagnetic flow meters, solving the long-standing problem of inaccurate measurement of large flow rates and incomplete measurement of complex working conditions in China.
The per capita water resources in China are only 28% of the world average, and the overexploitation of groundwater in northern regions has formed a funnel area of 150000 square kilometers, resulting in water shortages in over 400 out of more than 600 cities. What is even more serious is that the existing measurement system has three major pain points: 'unable to measure, incomplete measurement, and inaccurate measurement': the effective utilization coefficient of agricultural irrigation water is only 0.5, and the reuse rate of industrial water is 10 percentage points lower than that of developed countries. This extensive management has resulted in an annual water shortage of 50 billion cubic meters nationwide, equivalent to the storage capacity of 1000 West Lakes.
At the core laboratory of the metrology station, the reporter saw that the 150 meter large static water tank flow velocity calibration device was in operation. This device can accurately calibrate various hydrological monitoring equipment by simulating different river conditions, improving the accuracy of flow monitoring for major rivers such as the Yangtze River and the Yellow River by 30%. What is even more remarkable is its independently developed multi-dimensional adjustable variable open channel flow verification device, which achieves flow simulation under different terrains through 3D modeling technology. The related achievements have been evaluated by the International Organization for Weights and Measures as' pioneering a new standard for open channel measurement '.
These technological innovations are directly translated into management efficiency: Yishuhe Bureau has improved the water efficiency of 9 irrigation stations by 25% and saved over 5 million cubic meters of water resources annually through the 'electricity to water' metering pilot program. After 175 enterprises in Tongxiang City completed the measurement transformation, the average annual water intake decreased by 18%, and the water-saving benefits reached 120 million yuan.