Capital squanders scarce water: NGO

Carwashes, golf courts, ski slopes and bathing centers continue to threaten the capital's already-severe water crisis, according to an NGO report released on Thursday.

Beijing has over 5 million cars, more than any other city in China, according to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.

To keep cars clean given the capital's severe pollution and airborne dust, at least 6.5 million cubic meters of water are used every year, mostly tap water rather than re-treated water, Friends of Nature researchers said in their report.