Premier Li Keqiang recently signed an order of the State Council to promulgate the regulations on the administration of groundwater (hereinafter referred to as the regulations), which will come into force on December 1, 2021. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to groundwater management. Groundwater has important resource attributes and ecological functions. It plays an important role in ensuring water supply for urban and rural life and production, supporting economic and social development and maintaining a good ecological environment. In recent years, with the economic and social development, the degree of groundwater development and utilization in China has been increasing, resulting in the prominent problems of groundwater overexploitation and pollution in some areas. In order to strengthen the management of groundwater, the regulations make provisions from the aspects of investigation and planning, conservation and protection, over exploitation treatment, pollution prevention and control, supervision and management, etc. First, standardize the investigation, evaluation and planning of groundwater conditions. The people's governments at or above the county level shall organize the water administration, natural resources, ecological environment and other competent departments to carry out the investigation and evaluation of groundwater conditions, formulate plans for the protection and utilization of groundwater and pollution prevention and control at the corresponding level based on the results of the investigation and evaluation of groundwater conditions and taking into account the needs of economic and social development, groundwater resources and pollution prevention and control. Second, strengthen the conservation and protection of groundwater. The total amount of groundwater intake and water level control system shall be implemented. Clarify the requirements for water conservation in the water use process, strengthen the regulation of Groundwater Conservation and protection by economic means, and clarify the collection principle of groundwater water resources taxes. Except under special circumstances, the exploitation of groundwater that is difficult to renew is prohibited. Third, strictly control the overexploitation of groundwater. To standardize the delimitation of prohibited and restricted groundwater exploitation areas. Except under special circumstances, it is forbidden to take groundwater in the prohibited mining area, it is forbidden to take new groundwater in the restricted mining area, and the groundwater intake shall be gradually reduced. All provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government are required to prepare comprehensive treatment plans for groundwater overexploitation in their respective administrative regions, and clarify the treatment objectives, treatment measures, safeguard measures, etc. Fourth, improve the prevention and control measures of groundwater pollution. Establish a system for delimiting key areas for groundwater pollution prevention and control. Strengthen the control of groundwater pollution, prohibit the discharge of water pollutants by evading supervision, and prohibit the use of ditches, pits and ponds without anti leakage measures to transport or store wastewater containing toxic pollutants. Refine the system to prevent groundwater pollution by production and construction activities. Refine the system to prevent groundwater pollution caused by soil pollution. Fifth, strengthen supervision and management. The competent departments of water administration, natural resources and ecological environment of the people's governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with their duties, strengthen supervision and management and improve the mechanism of cooperation and cooperation. Strengthen the construction of groundwater monitoring station network and monitoring information sharing mechanism, improve the supervision and management of groundwater intake projects, and strengthen the management of geothermal energy development and utilization projects requiring water intake. In addition, strict legal responsibilities have been set for violations of the regulations and accountability has been strengthened. (outlook new era)