Now, I'm familiar with China and how things go here.... But if we're in the worst drought in 60 years and in danger of clean water running out... Then why is it that the city, (and my complex), continues to water the plants and bits of greenery on the sides of every road, every day? does the city have no sense to conserve water?

because appearance is everything. it is much more important to look like a functional city than to actually be one.

Apparently the water used for the plants is filthy, poisonous, and otherwise unusable. Probably from Dianchi.
So it seems there is nothing to worry about...

I think they water the plants in our complex from the fire hydrants. either way, it doesn't smell as nasty as the water they use from the big musical water trucks.

I watched the big musical water trucks today fill up straight from the sewer today.

nooooo! we're breathing freshly oxygenated air! quick! put out the plants!

i was at yueyatan park a few days back and the water that was being sprayed on the plants there smelled absolutely turd-tastic!

that explains why the main road outside my complex always looks and smells like everyone took a simultaneous piss on the street.

This has been driving me batty too. My husband and I went out to the Expo gardens (what a sad, sad, display...) and watched the sprinklers going off during the hottest part of the day. You know, the time the experts all say is the most wasteful time to water.

come on, we cannot just leave those plants alone, someone got to take care of them. there is nothing we can do to stop the record drought, we human being deserve it. however, we can protect it from worsing by saving water.