"I never thought we'd have running water before; it's so convenient!" This simple exclamation reflects the historic effort during Zaozhuang's 14th Five-Year Plan period, which involved traversing "eight parts mountains, one part water, and one part farmland" to lay nearly 2,400 kilometers of water supply pipelines. At the city's core, the "Zao Solve・Zao Satisfy" platform precisely dispatches and efficiently resolves over 5,000 daily public requests. One initiative brings water to the mountains, another connects a network to the people's hearts; these tangible and intangible sketches of livelihood outline Zaozhuang's clear approach of using systematic thinking to solve public welfare challenges and innovative practices to enhance governance efficiency, deeply etching the value of "people first" into every step of the city's development.
The journey of mountain water has transformed from "hope" to "sweetness." In early 2023, the rural water supply guarantee project was designated as the "Number One Livelihood Project" in Shanting District. Facing a lack of mature experience for water supply in hilly areas, the locality "crossed the river by feeling the stones": the district water bureau led the formation of a special task force, where provincial water conservancy experts sat down with local "earth experts" and village cadres. Through six rounds of discussions and over ten field surveys, they finally constructed a unique "2+6+N" water supply system, forming a pattern of "large plants, small stations, high tanks, and fine pipes," successfully creating the "Shanting Model" of scaled water supply tailored to the characteristics of hilly regions.
In this process, Shanting District built two 10,000-ton scale water plants, 6 water regulation stations, 55 elevated tanks, and laid 2,395 kilometers of water supply pipelines. These pipelines, like "underground veins," cross mountains and ridges to accurately deliver safe tap water to thousands of households. Consequently, 97% of rural households now drink tap water that is "same source, same network, same quality, same service" as the urban area. More considerate is the three-level operation and maintenance network of "district company + town station + village water manager": the 96650 hotline is staffed 24/7, "mobile payment points" regularly visit villages for fee collection, covering each village 2-5 times a month, with over 1,700 elderly and disabled individuals with mobility issues receiving door-to-door service.
"A few days ago, the faucet broke. I made a call, and the water manager came to fix it within half an hour," said Cong Yanmei, a villager from Yushuyao Village, with a smile. Now, smart water supply further ensures "drinking good water" with technological safeguards: water quality monitoring stations track pH and turbidity in real-time, issuing immediate alerts for超标 data; big data analyzes water usage patterns for precise pressure调度. This model has become the "Shanting Example" for water supply in hilly areas across the province, completely turning the mountain villagers' "hope for water" into the happiness of "sweet water."
Street corner stations have evolved from "management" to "warmth." On a cold winter morning, a chilling wind blows. Sanitation worker Wang Lina, after finishing her early sweeping shift, quickly steps into the urban management station at Guangming Square in Shizhong District to warm up and rest. "Before, when it was this cold, there was nowhere to go even if our hands and feet went numb. Now, with this station, it brings us a lot of convenience," Wang Lina praised repeatedly when talking about the station's benefits. Since 2025, focusing on the difficulties outdoor workers face, such as trouble finding drinking water and rest spots, Zaozhuang has built 34 "urban management stations" in key urban areas, commercial districts, schools, and parks, weaving a "15-minute convenience service circle."
The stations, though not large in area, are fully functional: water dispensers, charging ports, first-aid kits, and rest chairs are all available. Some stations are even equipped with microwaves and book corners, becoming a "cozy harbor" for outdoor workers and citizens. The station on Canal Avenue in Taierzhuang District hides a cultural touch: a large mural of the Grand Canal on the wall recreates the bustling scene of the "Canal Ancient City," making the station a window for promoting local culture. Stations in Shizhong District are integrated into parks, adding leisure chairs and fitness equipment; stations in Shanting District are located near schools, stocked with stationery and umbrellas; stations in the High-tech District collaborate with enterprises, regularly organizing policy briefing sessions.
Digital intelligence empowers and wisely opens a new chapter. "A section of the river embankment in the community collapsed, and the wall is leaning; it's too dangerous!" Recently, a resident of Jinlong International Garden in Shizhong District reported the issue through the platform. To their surprise, street staff arrived for an inspection within half an hour, construction crews started work that afternoon, and repairs were completed the next day. "Before, it took several days to get a response after reporting a problem. Now it's resolved in two days; the efficiency is so high!" This efficiency stems from the "Zao Solve・Zao Satisfy" smart platform launched by Zaozhuang in 2023.
Previously, 46 hotlines and 14 online channels operated independently, leading to problems like "multiple complaints for one issue and departmental buck-passing." The platform integrates all channels, achieving "multiple inlets, one outlet" for requests: using AI for intelligent complaint categorization, automatically merging duplicate requests, and utilizing big data to warn of potential risks, thereby improving the efficiency of request handling. At the Zaozhuang Public Request Handling Service Center, a large screen displays real-time data: "Today受理 5,124 items, resolved 5,206 items." Li Liping, Deputy Head of the Zaozhuang Municipal Committee Social Work Department and Party Secretary and Director of the Municipal Public Request Handling Service Center, stated, "Through cross-departmental coordination and intelligent analysis, we have upgraded from 'handling upon complaint' to 'acting before complaint,' tangibly enhancing the public's sense of gain, happiness, and security."
By the end of 2025, the platform had over 1.2 million users and had累计受理 3.51 million requests. Evolving from "handling upon complaint" to "acting before complaint," the "Zao Solve・Zao Satisfy" platform acts as a "smart brain" for city governance, using data to break down barriers and coordination to gather strength, aligning governance precision with the temperature of people's livelihoods, injecting Zaozhuang's dynamism into the modernization of municipal governance.
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