BEIJING -- China has set up a preliminary groundwater monitoring network as part of the country's effort to preserve its groundwater resources, said an official with the Ministry of Water Resources on Friday.

So far, 24,417 groundwater monitoring sites have been built, 10 percent of them capable of monitoring water quality, said Chen Ming, an official with the Ministry of Water Resources.

With the network being formed, the ministry will work to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater resources by improving the management of water resources and promoting the construction of a water-saving society, he said.

The majority of these monitoring sites are located in north China, the country's breadbasket where most water is polluted to varying degrees.

The recent achievement is the result of a national groundwater monitoring project launched three years ago.

The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, said in a statement issued in November 2010 that a total of 1.7 billion yuan ($269.8 million) would be invested to build and renovate 20,445 groundwater monitoring sites covering nearly one third of the country's territory.