Interview with water workers in Xinjiang: Taking root in the Gobi to build a "lifeline" for water supply

China News Service, Changji, Xinjiang, November 9th, Title: Interview with Xinjiang water workers: Taking root in the Gobi to build a "lifeline" for water supply

Authors Zhang Su Wang Shuai Yang Zexuan

In the hinterland of the Gurbantunggut Desert, a water supply pipeline about 245 kilometers long runs through it.

In the extremely arid "life restricted area", this "lifeline" has a continuous supply of clean water, and has handed over a report card: a total of more than 5,100 days of safe water supply, serving more than 40 large enterprises in Xinjiang Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone, effectively ensuring the water needs of pillar industries such as coal power and coal chemical industry, and solving the water problem of more than 200 square kilometers of Gobi desert...

Taking root in the Gobi for nineteen years, "water veins first" moisturize Zhundong. In recent interviews, water workers living in the Gobi described vivid practices of hard work and innovative development.

Data map: The picture shows Laojunmiao pumping station. Photo provided by interviewee

Guarding hundreds of miles of pipelines

In 2007, Xinjiang Changyuan Water Group entered the desert and invested in the establishment of Zhundong Water Supply Company. According to statistics, in the past 19 years, a total of 245 kilometers of water supply pipelines, 8 pressurized pump stations, and 5 water regulation and storage tanks have been built, helping to break the dilemma of "waiting for water development".

There are many pumping stations, management stations and watch points distributed along the water supply lines. For staff stationed at field stations all year round, walking inspections, equipment maintenance, and emergency repairs are daily tasks.

Since the Jiangjun Temple Management Station was officially put into use in 2010, Wang Bolin has been stationed here. There are many windy weather in this area. "You can hear the roaring wind and sand nearly 360 days out of 365 days a year." The area around the site is deserted, and he is usually accompanied by a puppy.

For more than ten years, Wang Bolin overcame difficulties and completed inspections along the prescribed route time and time again, checking the operating status of pipelines, reservoirs, and station equipment one by one, and carefully filling out the inspection record book item by item.

Later, water and electricity were connected to the management station, and a global video surveillance system was installed. Working and living conditions were significantly improved, and he still maintained his work and inspection habits for many years.

“When employees call for help, the organization responds accordingly,” said the relevant person in charge of Zhundong Water Supply Company. Persisting in a warm-hearted and focused effort to provide employee services with heart and soul will make the persistence in the depths of the Gobi more confident and powerful.

In view of the scattered sites and inconvenient communication, in 2013, a group of newly recruited young employees spontaneously founded internal publications. It is known that this publication has published more than 100 issues in total, and the manuscripts come from front-line employees, including the operation and maintenance dynamics of each site, interesting life stories, team activities, etc. Located in the desert, which is hundreds of miles away, everyone exchanged information and shared their daily life, and worked hard.

Activate the innovation engine

In recent years, local party members and young technical backbones have taken the lead in tackling key problems and continuously activating the innovative engine of development.

Taking the promotion of smart water construction as an example, the team introduced drone equipment to replace the traditional manual line patrol mode on foot. At present, drone inspections have been fully used in daily inspections of main pipelines, field stations, and remote points.

It is also reported that the technical team launched the water supply model optimization project of the pumping station based on the current situation of reservoir storage capacity and water level operating at high levels all year round, as well as the advantages of natural terrain height differences along the water supply line.

After the renovation project is completed, water flow will be transported automatically by relying on the natural water level difference, and some of the original pressurized water pumps will stop operating. Based on the calculation of the annual electricity consumption data of the pumping station in 2024, this transformation can save about 340,000 yuan in electricity bills every year.

While ensuring industrial water use, the Zhundong Water Supply Team also provides ecological water replenishment to the Gobi Desert every year. The vegetation coverage rate in the area of ​​more than 200 square kilometers has increased year by year, effectively improving the regional microclimate, reducing the frequency of sand and dust weather by about 20%, and achieving a positive interaction between ecological and economic benefits.

The relevant person in charge stated that they will continue to deepen the reform of the construction of the industrial worker team, increase the training of young cadres, and forge a "water iron army" to provide a more solid, safe and sustainable water source guarantee for the economic development of Changji and even the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.