210
9 Water Quality Management
recreational water use zones; and (5) Class V is applicable to agricultural water
use and general recreational waters.
• The Discharge Standards of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Plants (GB18918) defines the limits of pollutants for wastewater discharges from
municipal wastewater treatment plants.
• The Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749) outlines the hygiene requirements for drinking water quality, drinking water source water quality, centralized water supply units, secondary water supply sources, products related to
drinking water, water quality monitoring, and methods of analysis. Compared
to the previous standard, this latest version increases water quality requirements to organic materials, microorganisms, and disinfectants with the parameters
increasing from 35 to 106.
Standards play a very important role in water quality management. When formulating water quality standards, some of the criteria that must be followed are economic
and technological feasibility, enforceability, and adaptability to different circumstances in various regions. Therefore, the emphasis should be not only on the formulation of standard but also on their implementation. In the case of China, a water
quality standard system has been developed, but its implementation is still poor.
Additionally, the importance of standards has not been fully acknowledged, resulting
in their partial implementation.
Some standards are difficult to implement because they are not compatible with
economic and technological conditions. Indeed, some are so stringent that companies
are not able to meet them due to technological and economic constraints, and others
are too flexible and lack the ability to control pollution. A further issue is that the
standards are either too general or too detailed. In China, most of the standards are
designed to be implemented comprehensively at the national level. However, some,
such as discharge standards, do not adequately consider specific local conditions,
their economic development and the status of their water resources. In other cases,
certain standards ignore the existence of additional standards and/or indicators.
9.3.2 Planning
As discussed previously, water is planned on the principle of river basins or the region
in China. Therefore, water pollution control plan systems consist of four types: (1)
key state river and lake basins; (2) other cross-province river and lake basins; (3)
cross-county river and lake basins within a province; and (4) administrative regions.
The 2017 Water Pollution Control Law stipulates the formulation, amendment,
and approval of water pollution control plans for these types. The plans for key
state river and lake basins are compiled by MEE with the NDRC and MWR as
well as relevant provincial governments, and they are submitted to the State Council
for approval. The plans for other cross-province river and lake basins are drafted
by relevant provincial environmental protection departments with provincial water
9 Water Quality Management
recreational water use zones; and (5) Class V is applicable to agricultural water
use and general recreational waters.
• The Discharge Standards of Pollutants for Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Plants (GB18918) defines the limits of pollutants for wastewater discharges from
municipal wastewater treatment plants.
• The Standards for Drinking Water Quality (GB5749) outlines the hygiene requirements for drinking water quality, drinking water source water quality, centralized water supply units, secondary water supply sources, products related to
drinking water, water quality monitoring, and methods of analysis. Compared
to the previous standard, this latest version increases water quality requirements to organic materials, microorganisms, and disinfectants with the parameters
increasing from 35 to 106.
Standards play a very important role in water quality management. When formulating water quality standards, some of the criteria that must be followed are economic
and technological feasibility, enforceability, and adaptability to different circumstances in various regions. Therefore, the emphasis should be not only on the formulation of standard but also on their implementation. In the case of China, a water
quality standard system has been developed, but its implementation is still poor.
Additionally, the importance of standards has not been fully acknowledged, resulting
in their partial implementation.
Some standards are difficult to implement because they are not compatible with
economic and technological conditions. Indeed, some are so stringent that companies
are not able to meet them due to technological and economic constraints, and others
are too flexible and lack the ability to control pollution. A further issue is that the
standards are either too general or too detailed. In China, most of the standards are
designed to be implemented comprehensively at the national level. However, some,
such as discharge standards, do not adequately consider specific local conditions,
their economic development and the status of their water resources. In other cases,
certain standards ignore the existence of additional standards and/or indicators.
9.3.2 Planning
As discussed previously, water is planned on the principle of river basins or the region
in China. Therefore, water pollution control plan systems consist of four types: (1)
key state river and lake basins; (2) other cross-province river and lake basins; (3)
cross-county river and lake basins within a province; and (4) administrative regions.
The 2017 Water Pollution Control Law stipulates the formulation, amendment,
and approval of water pollution control plans for these types. The plans for key
state river and lake basins are compiled by MEE with the NDRC and MWR as
well as relevant provincial governments, and they are submitted to the State Council
for approval. The plans for other cross-province river and lake basins are drafted
by relevant provincial environmental protection departments with provincial water