Homestays at farms have been popular getaways for many Chinese urban dwellers in recent years, yet the garbage and waste water they produce have posed mounting environmental challenges.

Thanks to a water conservation program, thousands of farmhouses in Chongzhou, Sichuan province, have taken part in building wetlands and promoting environmentally friendly tourism.

Chen Shibin, the owner of such a farmhouse for 14 years, said the wetland project, which helps process waste water discharged from his farmhouse, has increased his repeat customers, improved his income and created a greener environment for his village as well.

His farmhouse was selected as a test site for the project.

Previously, the stench of waste water in a nearby canal drew flies and drove away guests.

The Family Wetland Project was launched in Jiezi Old Town in Chongzhou at the end of October by Coca-Cola China, together with the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges under the Ministry of Commerce, the Chongzhou city government, the Chongzhou city water resources bureau and the World Wildlife Fund.

Chongzhou was selected as a pilot city in Sichuan province to join the project, which aims to create family wetlands to recycle waste water from tourists.

"Agritainment" is booming in Sichuan province, which sits at the upstream of the Yangtze River, with a single farmhouse receiving 400 to 1,000 guests during the peak season.

The waste water discharged by such farmhouses not only worsens the environment, but also threatens safety of drinking water downstream and the ecology of the entire region.

The first three family wetlands will be established next month under the guidance of Chongzhou's city water resources bureau.

They are expected to purify 70,000 metric tons of water annually and benefit 500,000 farmhouses.

Mao Xiangyang, deputy-mayor of Chongzhou, said the city government is in talks with rural households to promote the project, which it hopes will create environmentally friendly leisure and elder-care industries.

"Water is one of our core sustainability focuses. We have invested more than $10 million since 2007 on water resource protection in China, and the amount will rise to $20 million by 2020," said David G. Brooks, executive vice-president of Coca-Cola Greater China and Korea.

In the 2012-2013 Coca-Cola China Sustainability Report, the company pledged to replenish safe water resources, equivalent to the amount used in its production, back to nature and local communities by 2020.

Starting in 2007, Coca-Cola China and the WWF have worked together to seek new ways to protect and conserve fresh water in China.

By leveraging overseas experience and studying local geographic, biological and climate conditions, Coca-Cola China and WWF have worked out feasible solutions that focus on family wetlands to deal with water pollution in rural areas.

So far, 15 test family wetlands have been set up in the upstream of the Yangtze River, including in Pixian county, Guangyuan and Langzhong in Sichuan as well as in Chongqing municipality. Such sites have purification pools and plants to clean waste water discharged by farmhouses.

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