China's total annual consumption of unconventional water resources is expected to exceed 17 billion cubic meters by 2025, according to a recent guideline issued by the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Development and Reform Commission.

The utilization rate of recycled water will reach more than 25 percent in water-scarce cities at the prefecture-level and above, according to the guideline.

Unconventional water resources include recycled water, desalinated seawater, rain and floodwater.

The country will build a sound policy system and market mechanism for unconventional water use by 2035, and the water use will be basically economic, efficient, systematic and safe, according to the guideline.