Construction on a desalinator began in Suth China's city of Sansha on Saturday as part of a larger project that will also ?include a rainwater purification system.

Related coverage: Sansha City Special

The project, which will be capable of processing 1,000 cubic meters of seawater daily upon its completion, will supply water for residents of Yongxing Island, where the municipal government is located, according to a spokesman from the local economic?planning body.

The desalinator, which will be completed by December 2013, will also supply clean water to nearby islets and reefs, as well as?passing ships, according to the spokesman. The desalinator will cost 70 million yuan ($11.2 million ) to build, while the overall cost of the island's water project is estimated to reach 210 million yuan.

Sansha is China's youngest city. It was officially established in July on Yongxing Island in the South China Sea to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and their surrounding?waters. Currently, residents of Yongxing Island rely heavily on water transported from South China's Hainan province.