The　Yangtze　River　Delta　(YRD)　occupies　2.1%　of　China＇s　territory　but　accounts　for　1/4　of　its　GDP.　Boosting　efficiency　of　industrial　water　resources　in　YRD　will　drastically　decrease　water　pollution　and　resource　constraints.　The　current　paper　employed　Network　Super-SBM　and　the　Global　Malmquist-Luenberger　index　to　evaluate　industrial　water　use　efficiency　and　wastewater　treatment　efficiency　of　YRD’　cities.　Furthermore,　digital　inclusive finance　and　green　innovation　are　introduced　to　investigate　the　mechanisms　underlying　their　influence　on　the overall industrial　water　resources　efficiency. The　empirical　findings　posts　that:　(1)　there　is　still　room　to　improve　the　overall efficiency,　especially　the　water　treatment　efficiency;　(2)　the　MI　value　of　each　stages　in　most　samples　is　greater　than　1,　indicating　that　the　water　treatment　efficiency　and　water　use　efficiency　are　improving.　It　is　mainly　driven　by　the　improvement　of　the　efficiency　of　the　management;　(3)　there　are　substantial　differences　in　water　resource　efficiency　among　metropolitan　areas,　with　Nanjing-metropolitan　areas　and　Hefei-metropolitan　areas　having　higher　water　use　efficiency　and　water　treatment　efficiency　for　both　stages,　while　Hangzhou-metropolitan　areas　and　Shanghai-metropolitan　areas　have　lower　water　treatment　efficiency.　As　shown　by　the　Kernel　density　Estimation,　the　degree　of　efficiency　dispersion　within　same　metropolitan　area　is　reducing;　and　(4)　digital　inclusive finance　will　boost　overall　efficiency　and　water　treatment　efficiency,　with　green　innovation　as　a　mediating　factor.　The　findings　herein　offer　compelling　evidence　that　financial　development　increases　the　effectiveness　of　water　resources,　introduce　fresh　perspectives　for　the　government　to　put　forward　water-related　policies,　and　provide　ideas　for　high-quality　economy.　©　The　Author(s)　2024.