Water is a very valuable resource, sustaining human life, production processes, and ecosystems; thus, particular attention should be paid to the management of water resources. China is now facing a serious water crisis, including water shortages, flooding, and water pollution, due to both natural and artificial causes. This water crisis has threatened human health and economic development. Natural water resources in China have two main characteristics. First, they are insufficient: Water availability in China is only 1780 m per capita, which is one quarter that of the global value and very close to the universally accepted figure for countries lacking water resources (≤ 1700 m per capita). Second, they are unevenly distributed: Although there are rich water resources in South China, there is a lack of water in North China. North China possesses 47% of the population and 65% of the farmland, but only 17% of China’s water resources. In addition, rainfall is unevenly distributed over the four seasons in China. Water pollution is caused by human activities. Industry, agriculture, and the activities of daily life all discharge wastewater and create water pollution. The seven major water systems in China all contain pollution to different degrees, including organic pollution, nutrient pollution, heavy metal pollution, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and so forth. It is estimated that more than 100 million urban residents and 320 million residents in rural areas lack safe drinking water. Many accidents related to water pollution have occurred in China in recent years, seriously threatening people’s health and lives. Flooding and water-logging are sudden events. However, most of the responsibility for these issues lies with sewer systems that are not well-designed, constructed, and/or operated. For example, some cities in North China have had flood-related accidents that were mainly caused by problems with urban sewer systems. All these facts make it clear that close attention should be paid to the management of water resources in China in order to prevent the harmful effects of water crises. The targets of sustainable water resource management should include: providing sufficient water resources for economic development and the population’s daily lives; protecting a clean water environment; ensuring safe drinking water; and preventing disasters caused by flooding and water-logging. To ensure that the above targets are achieved, the sustainable management of water resources in China should be based on these strategies [1,2]: • Making water conservation the main priority, and controlling water demand; • Controlling water pollution rigorously and reducing the pollution created by sources; • Using wastewater as water, energy, and fertilizer resources; and • Preventing flooding and water-logging disasters, while using rainwater as a water resource.