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9 Water Quality Management
• Local governments are responsible for water environmental quality within their
jurisdiction (Article 4); the achievement of water protection targets will constitute
components of the assessment of local governments and their leaders (Article 6).
• Discharged water pollutants shall not exceed the national or local water pollutant
discharge standards and key water pollutant discharge total volumes (Article 10).
• National water environmental quality standards shall be formulated by the EPAD
under the State Council, while provincial governments must formulate local
standards for the parameters not included in the national standards (Article 12).
• National water pollutant discharge standards shall be formulated based on the
national water environmental quality standards and economic and technical conditions developed by the EPAD under the State Council. Provincial governments
can formulate local standards for the parameters not included in national standards as well as stricter local standards for the parameters included in the national
standards. Water pollutant discharge shall follow the local standards whenever
they exist (Article 14).
• The EPAD under the State Council and the provincial government shall amend
water environmental standards and water pollution discharge standards according
to water pollution control requirements, in addition to national and local economic
and technical conditions (Article 15).
• Water pollution control shall be planned at river basin or region levels (Article
16).
• Environmental impact assessments shall be conducted for newly built, rebuilt,
and expansion projects that discharge pollutants into the waters directly or indirectly; the water pollution control facility of the building project shall be designed,
constructed, and operated simultaneously with the main structure (Article 19).
• The State shall enforce the total volume control system for key water pollutants
(Article 20) and the pollutant discharge permit system (Article 21).
• The State develops the water environmental quality monitoring and water pollutant
discharge monitoring system. The EPAD of the State Council is responsible for
formulating water environmental monitoring standards, integrating national water
environmental quality information, organizing monitoring network with the WAD
and similar entities of the State Council, planning national water environmental
monitoring stations, and developing data-sharing mechanisms (Article 25). The
river basin water resources protection agencies set up in key river basins and lakes
shall be responsible for inter-provincial water environmental quality monitoring
and shall report to the EPAD and the WAD under the State Council (Article 26).
• The state develops drinking water sources protection zones. The protection zones
consist of primary and secondary zones (Article 63).
The 2016 Water Law defines the water resources protection systems as follows:
• The state protects water resources (Article 9). Whoever, in violation of state plans,
degrades water quality and thus the use of rivers and lakes, overdraws groundwater
or pollutes water shall bear responsibility for the related treatment (Article 31).
• The water function zone plans shall be formulated for rivers and lakes by the
WAD together with the EPAD and relevant departments (Article 32).
9 Water Quality Management
• Local governments are responsible for water environmental quality within their
jurisdiction (Article 4); the achievement of water protection targets will constitute
components of the assessment of local governments and their leaders (Article 6).
• Discharged water pollutants shall not exceed the national or local water pollutant
discharge standards and key water pollutant discharge total volumes (Article 10).
• National water environmental quality standards shall be formulated by the EPAD
under the State Council, while provincial governments must formulate local
standards for the parameters not included in the national standards (Article 12).
• National water pollutant discharge standards shall be formulated based on the
national water environmental quality standards and economic and technical conditions developed by the EPAD under the State Council. Provincial governments
can formulate local standards for the parameters not included in national standards as well as stricter local standards for the parameters included in the national
standards. Water pollutant discharge shall follow the local standards whenever
they exist (Article 14).
• The EPAD under the State Council and the provincial government shall amend
water environmental standards and water pollution discharge standards according
to water pollution control requirements, in addition to national and local economic
and technical conditions (Article 15).
• Water pollution control shall be planned at river basin or region levels (Article
16).
• Environmental impact assessments shall be conducted for newly built, rebuilt,
and expansion projects that discharge pollutants into the waters directly or indirectly; the water pollution control facility of the building project shall be designed,
constructed, and operated simultaneously with the main structure (Article 19).
• The State shall enforce the total volume control system for key water pollutants
(Article 20) and the pollutant discharge permit system (Article 21).
• The State develops the water environmental quality monitoring and water pollutant
discharge monitoring system. The EPAD of the State Council is responsible for
formulating water environmental monitoring standards, integrating national water
environmental quality information, organizing monitoring network with the WAD
and similar entities of the State Council, planning national water environmental
monitoring stations, and developing data-sharing mechanisms (Article 25). The
river basin water resources protection agencies set up in key river basins and lakes
shall be responsible for inter-provincial water environmental quality monitoring
and shall report to the EPAD and the WAD under the State Council (Article 26).
• The state develops drinking water sources protection zones. The protection zones
consist of primary and secondary zones (Article 63).
The 2016 Water Law defines the water resources protection systems as follows:
• The state protects water resources (Article 9). Whoever, in violation of state plans,
degrades water quality and thus the use of rivers and lakes, overdraws groundwater
or pollutes water shall bear responsibility for the related treatment (Article 31).
• The water function zone plans shall be formulated for rivers and lakes by the
WAD together with the EPAD and relevant departments (Article 32).