HAIKOU -- A 1,000-tonne-a-day desalination plant was put into use on Yongxing Island of China's Sansha City, to meet the fresh water need of people on the island.

The new facility, which was officially commissioned on Saturday, is capable of treating 1,000 tonnes of seawater per day and 700 tonnes of processed water is directly drinkable.

Currently, the desalination equipment on Yongxing Island can process 1,800 tonnes of seawater per day.

Sansha City was officially established in 2012 to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha island groups and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea. The city government is located on Yongxing Island.