The middle route of the south-to-north water diversion project has sent 2.2 billion cubic meters of water to north China, benefiting 38 million people in a dozen cities in its first year of operation.

Some 870 million cubic meters have flowed to Henan Province. Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province received 840 million cubic meters, 380 million cubic meters and 130 million cubic meters respectively, according to the project administration bureau.

Designed to take water from China's longest river, the Yangtze, through eastern, middle and western routes to feed dry areas in the north, the diversion project now provides 70 percent of Beijing's water supply.