In the Changsha City of Hunan Providence, China’s first stormwater trade agreement was successfully launched and implemented thanks to the support and collaboration between government agencies and several private parties.  

On September 24, 2020, Changsha High-tech Zone Municipal Garden Sanitation Co., Ltd. and Hunan Yuchuang Environmental Protection Engineering Co., Ltd.(Yuchuang) signed a strategic agreement to buy and sell harvested stormwater resources in some Sponge City communities, creating a new model of the utilization of stormwater and supporting the sustainability of Sponge City implementation. 

Harvested stormwater in selected Sponge City facilities can be sold at a price 20% lower than the local tap water price, creating an incentive for stormwater harvesting and reuse.  The stormwater is later used in landscaping irrigation, waterscape supplementation, dust control, etc.