222
10 Recycled Water Use Management
(Article 23). The municipal government shall take effective measures to adapt to local
conditions to strengthen centralised urban wastewater treatment, to encourage the use
of recycled water, and to increase rates of recycled wastewater use usage (Article
52). The 2009 Circular Economy Promotion Law of PRC stipulates as well that the
state encourages and supports the use of recycled water and that the regions with the
conditions to use recycled water shall limit or forbid the use of tap water in urban
road cleaning, greening, and landscaping (Article 27).
10.2 Recycled Water Reuse in China
The use of recycled water arrived relatively late in China, compared to wastewater
treatment development (Table 10.1) and its application in other countries, such as
the US. Only after the severe water crisis in several cities in northern China did the
work receive extensive attention. At the early time, researches on water pollution and
urban wastewater recycled technology were conducted. In Beijing, some pilot use
projects were developed. After 2000, recycled water use developed quickly. Some
recycled water projects were constructed, and recycled water use started becoming
incorporated into urban planning. Some cities, such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Qingdao,
began to use recycled water in urban landscape purpose and industry.
With the promotion of the recycled water policy, recycled water use increased
quickly, particularly after 2010. According to the data from MOHURD, during 2002–
2017 the daily recycled water production capacity increased from 9.7 million tons
in 2002 to 35.9 million tons in 2017, with an annual increase of 12.6%; the annual
recycled water use increased from 2.12 billion m
3 in 2002 to 7.13 billion m
3 in
2012, with an annual increase of 7.9%. At the same time, it could be found that
the production capacity use rate was only 54.4% in 2017. Therefore, the production
capacity is enough to meet the demand of recycled water (Fig. 10.1; Table 10.2).
Given the example of Beijing, which is the best developed city in recycled water
use in China, recycled water use increased from 205 million m
3 in 2003 to 1,050
million m
3 in 2017, with an annual increase of 12.4%. The percentage of recycled
water in total water supply increased from 6% to 27% during this period. Now,
recycled water is the second largest water source in the city, just after groundwater
(Fig. 10.2).
The treatment process and technology, under the increasing demand, have greatly
been improved upon. At present, the most common recycled process is coagulation,
sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection after municipal sewage treatment, and the
water quality can meet the requirements for landscaping use, municipal miscellaneous use, and some industrial uses. The more advanced process often uses the
membrane method as the core treatment process, such as “sewage treatment effluent
+ coagulation + sedimentation + microfiltration (ultrafiltration) + reverse osmosis
+ disinfection,” and can provide more stable and secured water quality. This kind
of process has been widely applied in Beijing and Tianjin. In addition, the process
of “sewage treatment effluent + coagulation + precipitation + filtration + activated
10 Recycled Water Use Management
(Article 23). The municipal government shall take effective measures to adapt to local
conditions to strengthen centralised urban wastewater treatment, to encourage the use
of recycled water, and to increase rates of recycled wastewater use usage (Article
52). The 2009 Circular Economy Promotion Law of PRC stipulates as well that the
state encourages and supports the use of recycled water and that the regions with the
conditions to use recycled water shall limit or forbid the use of tap water in urban
road cleaning, greening, and landscaping (Article 27).
10.2 Recycled Water Reuse in China
The use of recycled water arrived relatively late in China, compared to wastewater
treatment development (Table 10.1) and its application in other countries, such as
the US. Only after the severe water crisis in several cities in northern China did the
work receive extensive attention. At the early time, researches on water pollution and
urban wastewater recycled technology were conducted. In Beijing, some pilot use
projects were developed. After 2000, recycled water use developed quickly. Some
recycled water projects were constructed, and recycled water use started becoming
incorporated into urban planning. Some cities, such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Qingdao,
began to use recycled water in urban landscape purpose and industry.
With the promotion of the recycled water policy, recycled water use increased
quickly, particularly after 2010. According to the data from MOHURD, during 2002–
2017 the daily recycled water production capacity increased from 9.7 million tons
in 2002 to 35.9 million tons in 2017, with an annual increase of 12.6%; the annual
recycled water use increased from 2.12 billion m
3 in 2002 to 7.13 billion m
3 in
2012, with an annual increase of 7.9%. At the same time, it could be found that
the production capacity use rate was only 54.4% in 2017. Therefore, the production
capacity is enough to meet the demand of recycled water (Fig. 10.1; Table 10.2).
Given the example of Beijing, which is the best developed city in recycled water
use in China, recycled water use increased from 205 million m
3 in 2003 to 1,050
million m
3 in 2017, with an annual increase of 12.4%. The percentage of recycled
water in total water supply increased from 6% to 27% during this period. Now,
recycled water is the second largest water source in the city, just after groundwater
(Fig. 10.2).
The treatment process and technology, under the increasing demand, have greatly
been improved upon. At present, the most common recycled process is coagulation,
sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection after municipal sewage treatment, and the
water quality can meet the requirements for landscaping use, municipal miscellaneous use, and some industrial uses. The more advanced process often uses the
membrane method as the core treatment process, such as “sewage treatment effluent
+ coagulation + sedimentation + microfiltration (ultrafiltration) + reverse osmosis
+ disinfection,” and can provide more stable and secured water quality. This kind
of process has been widely applied in Beijing and Tianjin. In addition, the process
of “sewage treatment effluent + coagulation + precipitation + filtration + activated