Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Tuesday called for better mechanisms to control excessive exploitation of groundwater.

Wang made the remarks during an inspection tour on the topic of groundwater conservation in northern Hebei Province.

The vice premier said water saving is the key to solving the problem of groundwater over-exploitation, and called for more water-conserving technology in industrial and agricultural production.

The load-bearing capacity of water resources should be taken into account in urban planning and building, and the development of sectors consuming too much water should be restrained, he said.

Wang also called for water price reform to make the prices of water fully reflect the scarcity of water resources.