More than 80 products from 16 companies nationwide have been
granted water conservation certificates by the China Certification
Center for Energy Conservation Products, the country’s only such
body.
A center representative said that another 58 products are
pending certification.
"We hope the mechanism will encourage manufacturers of water
conservation products to upgrade technologies," said an official
with the China Certification and Accreditation Administration,
noting that the quality of water conservation products in China at
present is far from satisfactory.
The certification is expected to promote the concept of water
conservation among both manufacturers and consumers.
So far, 50 percent of toilets fail to meet certification
standards, said Yue Zongwen, an engineer at the center. There are
about 1,000 toilet manufacturers in the country.
Yue said to date more than 200 companies have consulted the
center about the certification, with 30 of them submitting products
for approval.
Over the longer term, a market entrance system for water
conservation products will be established, Yue added.
Gao Zhong, chairman of the board of the Clean Water Alliance, a
water business company, said the certification will benefit
consumers, manufacturers and the environment. More Chinese
consumers are demanding water-efficient products, he added.
"I will certainly buy water efficient showers, taps and
toilets," said new Beijing homeowner Jing Peng, "because water
prices in Beijing have gone up. In addition, many Chinese cities
are suffering from serious water shortages."
(China Daily May 20, 2004)