Cui Zhen said "I want to save some water, not for the sake of saving a few RMB, but because water resources are getting more and more scarce. And by the way, they say it’s good for the flowers to be watered by tea."

But sometimes, the efforts of individuals like Cui could all go to waste, if industries fail to join this campaign. At the garage, hosing down a car is like creating a waterfall.

Summer Palace’s Kunming lake is one of the biggest in the city. But figures show that each year, the equivalent of 20 lakes this size will go down the drain from just car washing alone -- and that’s just in the capital city.

Across the country, over two thirds of the cities are running short of water. Among them, a quarter are in desperate need. Half of the farmlands do not have enough water for irrigation.

For now, Cui Zhen can relax and enjoy his tea. But whether there will be water to fill his cup with tomorrow remains uncertain, if the water saving campaign does not start from today.