BEIJING - China will launch a nationwide check on water consumption in the energy-intensive service sector starting September, the Ministry of Water Resources said Tuesday.

The move aims to crack down on illegal water acquisition and control water waste in the sector, the ministry said in an online statement.

The three-month check, as part of the government's efforts to promote stringent water management, will consist of two phases, the statement said.

In the one month to October, local water conservancy authorities will check the implementation of systems such as the water resources appraisal and water acquisition license systems and submit reports on the checks before December, it said.

The ministry will conduct random inspections to water-stressed regions and areas with outstanding illegal water acquisition issues over the October to December period, it added.

Local governments that fail to conduct checks in accordance with the requirements or are found to have acted in fraudulent manner will be held responsible, according to the statement.

The ministry will formulate a string of regulations this year to implement the "strictest" management system for water resources, a senior MWR official said in July.

Under the new regulations, water quotas will be allocated by region, industry and product to achieve maximum water efficiency. The country's No.1 Document for this year targeted a total water consumption of no more than 670 billion cubic meters by 2020.