Aerospace Hi-Tech Group Helps Taibai County Overcome Winter Water Supply Challenges

“This faucet works really well,” said An Hongxia, a villager from Baiyun Village in Taibai County, Shaanxi Province, as she lightly stepped on the newly installed freeze-proof faucet pedal, releasing a steady flow of clean water. Across Taibai County’s villages, such faucets—emblazoned with the words “Aerospace Assistance”—have become a distinctive sight.

Winter in Taibai used to begin with frozen faucets, a persistent headache for locals. “Due to the county’s high altitude, temperatures start dropping by mid-November, and faucets gradually freeze after the first snowfall,” explained Wang Huan, Deputy Party Secretary and Mayor of Zuitou Town. Frozen pipes and faucets severely disrupted daily life and production. “Once it got cold, faucets and pipes would freeze, making it very difficult for villagers to access water,” said Gou Xiaohong, Deputy Party Secretary of Baiyun Village. In past years, villagers resorted to wrapping faucets in quilts or thawing them with fire or boiling water—methods that were both cumbersome and risky for pipe integrity.

This issue caught the attention of leaders from Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Co.,Ltd. 航天科技 and their dispatched officials during multiple research visits. They prioritized solving winter water supply challenges as a key livelihood project. In 2022, Taibai County launched a freeze-proof faucet renovation initiative, with the group investing 1 million yuan to install 1,335 units across 12 villages in Zuitou, Yingge, Taochuan, and Jingkou towns.

“Each unit costs about 800 yuan, fully covered by the group’s assistance funds—villagers didn’t pay a cent,” said Liu Qi, Director of the Water Resources Affairs Center at Taibai County’s Agriculture, Rural Affairs, and Water Resources Bureau. The faucets’ freeze-proof mechanism relies on draining water below the frost line when not in use, preventing ice formation. Before implementation, the group optimized sealing structures and materials to ensure reliability in the Qinling Mountains.

“These faucets have truly resolved our winter water woes,” said Gou Xiaohong. Previously, villagers kept faucets running to prevent freezing, depleting reservoirs. Now, reservoirs maintain stable water levels year-round.

In 2023 and 2024, the group invested an additional 2.3 million yuan to install 2,350 more faucets and renovate 1,500 water tanks. “Meeting public needs guides our work,” said Zhao Tiedi, the group’s appointed Deputy County Chief. “From pilot to full rollout, our four-year commitment ensures villagers no longer worry about winter water.”

In 2025, the group allocated 3.4 million yuan to equip the remaining 37 villages with 3,800 faucets. “Installation is complete, and we’re now finalizing inspections and audits. Every rural household in Taibai now has freeze-proof faucets, ending winter water shortages,” Liu Qi noted.

As snow blankets the Qinling Mountains once more, these “Aerospace Assistance” faucets stand quietly in courtyards, warming winters for Taibai’s residents and fueling long-term rural revitalization.