On August 5, the officers and men of the Beijian Island Coastal Defense Company stationed at the southernmost end of the Wanshan Islands received a special "gift": a set of advanced seawater desalination equipment, plus two sets of auxiliary equipment used to soften hard water into fresh water. The installation of the three seawater desalination systems on the island indicates that the Beijian Island Coastal Defense Company has said good-bye to its 55-year's history of inadequate fresh water supply.

　　Located at the southernmost end of the Jiapeng Islands in the South China Sea, the Beijian Island is completely cut off from the outside world. After being stationed on this island, the officers and men of the company felt that there was a great lack of fresh water in their daily life. Each year the dry season can be as long as 7 months, during which the officers and men had to rely on the regular supply ship to bring fresh water to them once a week.

　　Several civilian technicians installing the equipment on the island told the reporters that these three sets of seawater desalination equipment adopted advanced technologies and materials, and they were quite efficient in seawater desalination and quite suitable to the seawater quality in the South China Sea.

　　According to Bai Zhiqiang, director of the Armament Department of the Zhuhai Garrison, who was on site to supervise the installation and operation of the equipment, told the reporters that the desalination equipment was able to produce more than 10 tons of fresh water every day and the water quality was up to the standard, thus they could fully satisfy the fresh water need of the officers and men on the island.

　　By Fan Zhipeng and Yang Xiaogang

　　(Aug 13, PLA Daily)                                             Editor: Dong Zhaohui