While residents of Beijing cannot imagine life without a ready supply of running water, villagers living near the capital's largest reservoir are forced to draw their supplies from a distant well that is fast drying up.
Tixiazhuang villager Ren Shuzhen, who lives near the Miyun Reservoir, 80km north of the capital, is bitter her community is paying a heavy price to help conserve Beijing's main water supply.
Running household water has been a long-cherished dream for the 75-year-old. 'Of course, it is still hard to accept the fact that we have no access to running water, even though we are next to the big reservoir. We have been denied the same right to use the reserve as those living in the city,' Ms Ren said with tears in her eyes. 'But I know it may be necessary to make some sacrifices.'
Tixiazhuang is one of seven villages in Henanzhai township which, despite their proximity to the Miyun Reservoir, are struggling with serious water shortages and subsequent poverty.
Her husband, Xu Baoku, 77, misses the days two decades ago when villagers were allowed access to water in the reservoir via a water diversion station, which is no longer operating.
'Life was much easier at that time because of the abundant water supply from the reservoir and the fairly low water consumption of our countryside lifestyle,' he said.
But the rapidly expanding economy and population in the capital have changed the lives of more than 3,000 drought-hit villagers for the worse.