SHANGHAI’S environment watchdog has publicized new water conservation areas for the city’s four major tap water sources to ensure water safety.

Most of the water that residents drink comes from the upstream Huangpu River and three reservoirs — Qingcaosha, Chenhang and Dongfengxisha — at the mouth of the Yangtze River. The conservation areas are set up around these key sites, Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau officials said.

Previously, Huangpu River served as the main tap water source for residents and so is deemed the Mother River of Shanghai. When the reservoirs were built and began operating in the last decade, it became essential to adjust the water conservation areas, the bureau said.