Chapter 10
Recycled Water Use Management
Abstract This chapter analyzes the management of recycled water use in China.
The development of recycled water use is introduced. The policy development for
recycled water use in the country is reviewed. The management framework, including
standards, institutions, and potential management instruments, is discussed. The
chapter then discusses the key issues involved in the management of recycled water
use, such as the nature of recycled water use, safety, economic rationality, and systematic issues. The management of the recycled water use in China is under development
and exploration. Although all governmental policies promote the use of the recycled
water in the management aspect, many problems have not been dealt with. With the
traditional agencies, including MWR and MOHURD, extending their functions to
the recycled water, the unclear management responsibility, as well as agencies and
instruments, is inevitable. These problems come from the clarification of the recycled
water use. At the same time, safety, economic feasibility, and systematic planning
are still the issues in recycled water use management.
Keywords Recycled water use · Recycled water use management · Safety ·
Economic rationality · River basin context
10.1 Introduction
With the increase of water shortages around the world, non-traditional water sources,
including recycled wastewater, rainwater, and desalinated seawater, have been the
second water sources for social and economic development. In China, which has
been pushed by both water shortage and serious water pollution, the importance to
use recycled water has become more and more significant. After more than 30 years,
how to use and manage recycled water has become a prominent issue in China’s
water sector.
The 2002 Water Law indicates that local governments shall rationally organise to
develop and comprehensively use water resources, under consideration of local water
resources and in accordance with the principles of surface water and groundwater
integrated regulations and development, combination of new source developments
and water saving, water saving first, and promotion of wastewater treatment and reuse
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_10
221
Recycled Water Use Management
Abstract This chapter analyzes the management of recycled water use in China.
The development of recycled water use is introduced. The policy development for
recycled water use in the country is reviewed. The management framework, including
standards, institutions, and potential management instruments, is discussed. The
chapter then discusses the key issues involved in the management of recycled water
use, such as the nature of recycled water use, safety, economic rationality, and systematic issues. The management of the recycled water use in China is under development
and exploration. Although all governmental policies promote the use of the recycled
water in the management aspect, many problems have not been dealt with. With the
traditional agencies, including MWR and MOHURD, extending their functions to
the recycled water, the unclear management responsibility, as well as agencies and
instruments, is inevitable. These problems come from the clarification of the recycled
water use. At the same time, safety, economic feasibility, and systematic planning
are still the issues in recycled water use management.
Keywords Recycled water use · Recycled water use management · Safety ·
Economic rationality · River basin context
10.1 Introduction
With the increase of water shortages around the world, non-traditional water sources,
including recycled wastewater, rainwater, and desalinated seawater, have been the
second water sources for social and economic development. In China, which has
been pushed by both water shortage and serious water pollution, the importance to
use recycled water has become more and more significant. After more than 30 years,
how to use and manage recycled water has become a prominent issue in China’s
water sector.
The 2002 Water Law indicates that local governments shall rationally organise to
develop and comprehensively use water resources, under consideration of local water
resources and in accordance with the principles of surface water and groundwater
integrated regulations and development, combination of new source developments
and water saving, water saving first, and promotion of wastewater treatment and reuse
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_10
221