ABSTRACT
Water shortage is a new problem caused by urban developments, this paper takes the water supply in Xi’an for example, and points out the conjuctive use of surface water and ground water is an important way to mitigate the water shortage and to impove the geological environment in Xi’an. After reviewing the history of water supply and the existing state of water shortage, the authors indicate the over-exploitaion of groundwater is a direct reason for the rapid drawdown of groundwater table, deterioration of exploitation conditions, water shorage. land subsidence and ground fissures. Based on the analysis of various water sources, the studies of successful experience overseas, as well as the water cycling law, a strategy-conjuctive use of surface water and ground water to relax the water shortage in Xi’an has been suggested, and then the water volumes from different rivers or brooks used for water supply in Xi’an and other purposes in the countryside are calculated. As a result, extra 0.3 billion m 3 water a year can be supplied to Xi’an, showing the strategy is effective to the solution of water shortage in short or middle term, and it gives directions for the future.
