If there is no heavy rainfall upstream, freshwater supplies will be in danger
Weather experts predict the west Pearl River Delta will be hit by more saline tides this year. Recent water flows and levels are below those of last year when the central government ordered the discharge of water from reservoirs in Guizhou and Guangxi to flush out saltwater tides.
The salt tide occurs when sea water floods coastal areas because of serious drought.
More than 1,000 experts had been monitoring water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and sounded the alarm over the National Day holidays, state media reports said.
Zhongshan experienced its first saltwater tide this year on September 23, nine days earlier than last year, and experts fear that if there is no heavy rainfall upstream, the situation will be critical again in Zhongshan and Zhuhai this year.
Conditions were so bad last year that residents of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macau had to put up with water cuts or salty water in their water supply, but the action by the central government gave them freshwater for 20 days during the Lunar New Year period until they were relieved by the rainy season.
