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BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese political advisor on Thursday urged more use of recycled water, in a bid to relieve water shortages that plague many cities of the country.

Hong Meixiang, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said recycled water, which is viewed as the second most important water source for cities, only takes up less than 10 percent of the nation's water consumption.

Even in Beijing which plays a leading role in water saving, only 600 million cubic meters of recycled water was consumed in 2008, or 17 percent of the total water consumption, she said.

Hong advocated the legislation for the use of recycled water, which should require the use of recycled water and ban the use of tap water for irrigating gardens, auto cleaning and industrial production.

She also suggested lower recycled water prices to make it more attractive for cost-sensitive consumers.

China had 1,527 sewage treatment plants by February 2009, treating 68.8 million cubic meters of sewage every day.

China's water resources per capital are less than a quarter of the world's average.