10.3 Recycled Water Reuse Policy in China
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purposes. The related departments of the state council and local governments shall
issue management regulations and incentive policies to promote the construction and
operation of urban recycled water use facilities and develop effective management
systems. The recycled use plan shall be incorporated into the water pollution control
plan and the general urban plan. At the same time, the policy stipulated the construction, operation, and supervision as well as the security guarantee of the recycled water
use facility (Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Sciences and Technology 2006).
The policy is the most detailed and comprehensive document on recycled water use
from the past 20 years. The document developed the principles and objectives for
recycled water use in China, as well as management and supporting systems.
In 2009, NDRC and MOHURD reiterated the need to increase input in recycled
water use facility construction, to develop the preferential policy for recycled water
production and use, and to force some sectors to use and enlarge use coverage (NDRC
and MOHURD 2009).
In 2009, MWR issued the Notice to Strengthen Urban Wastewater Recycled Use
to Promote Water Resources Saving and Protection. The notice realized that urban
wastewater recycled use is an important measure to alleviate urban water shortage and
promote water resources recycled use as well as water resource saving and protection.
The policy defined that recycled water is, in the urban wastewater treatment and reuse
process, water which could be reused after the proper treatment of outflow from a
wastewater treatment plant or is harvested rainwater or industrial wastewater for
reuse purposes. The water must also meet recycled water quality standard (SL368)
and must be an important non-drinking water source.
More important, the MWR document required to integrate urban wastewater recycled use into regional water resource allocation. The recycled water shall be integrated with surface water, groundwater, and diverted water and increase the use
ratio in groundwater recharge, industry, agriculture, urban non-portable use, ecoenvironmental purpose, as well as reduced freshwater use. The urban and rural recycled water production and use shall be comprehensively coordinated in terms of
facility, network, and user allocation to achieve the use of regional recycled water
resources. The recycled water use plan shall be subject to the water resources comprehensive plan and the general urban plan. The construction of urban wastewater treatment facility must develop recycled use facility and a network. The new building
with a construction area of more than 20,000 m
2 and the new residential area with
a population of more than 30,000 m
2 shall link to the nearby municipal recycled
water network; those without access to the network shall develop a recycled water
use facility for support.
The 2009 MWR policy also developed the use target: in 2010, the recycled water
use rate of water shortage city in northern China shall be more than 20% of wastewater
treated and that in southern China shall be more than 10%; in 2015, both shall
increase significantly. More importantly, the policy required to strengthen urban
recycled water use management. In water resource justification, the use of recycled
water was a priority. The recycled water use is required to incorporate into planned
water use management by ways of issuing a recycled use plan by WAD (MWR
2009). It is clear that the purpose of MWR’s policy is to regard the recycled water
231
purposes. The related departments of the state council and local governments shall
issue management regulations and incentive policies to promote the construction and
operation of urban recycled water use facilities and develop effective management
systems. The recycled use plan shall be incorporated into the water pollution control
plan and the general urban plan. At the same time, the policy stipulated the construction, operation, and supervision as well as the security guarantee of the recycled water
use facility (Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Sciences and Technology 2006).
The policy is the most detailed and comprehensive document on recycled water use
from the past 20 years. The document developed the principles and objectives for
recycled water use in China, as well as management and supporting systems.
In 2009, NDRC and MOHURD reiterated the need to increase input in recycled
water use facility construction, to develop the preferential policy for recycled water
production and use, and to force some sectors to use and enlarge use coverage (NDRC
and MOHURD 2009).
In 2009, MWR issued the Notice to Strengthen Urban Wastewater Recycled Use
to Promote Water Resources Saving and Protection. The notice realized that urban
wastewater recycled use is an important measure to alleviate urban water shortage and
promote water resources recycled use as well as water resource saving and protection.
The policy defined that recycled water is, in the urban wastewater treatment and reuse
process, water which could be reused after the proper treatment of outflow from a
wastewater treatment plant or is harvested rainwater or industrial wastewater for
reuse purposes. The water must also meet recycled water quality standard (SL368)
and must be an important non-drinking water source.
More important, the MWR document required to integrate urban wastewater recycled use into regional water resource allocation. The recycled water shall be integrated with surface water, groundwater, and diverted water and increase the use
ratio in groundwater recharge, industry, agriculture, urban non-portable use, ecoenvironmental purpose, as well as reduced freshwater use. The urban and rural recycled water production and use shall be comprehensively coordinated in terms of
facility, network, and user allocation to achieve the use of regional recycled water
resources. The recycled water use plan shall be subject to the water resources comprehensive plan and the general urban plan. The construction of urban wastewater treatment facility must develop recycled use facility and a network. The new building
with a construction area of more than 20,000 m
2 and the new residential area with
a population of more than 30,000 m
2 shall link to the nearby municipal recycled
water network; those without access to the network shall develop a recycled water
use facility for support.
The 2009 MWR policy also developed the use target: in 2010, the recycled water
use rate of water shortage city in northern China shall be more than 20% of wastewater
treated and that in southern China shall be more than 10%; in 2015, both shall
increase significantly. More importantly, the policy required to strengthen urban
recycled water use management. In water resource justification, the use of recycled
water was a priority. The recycled water use is required to incorporate into planned
water use management by ways of issuing a recycled use plan by WAD (MWR
2009). It is clear that the purpose of MWR’s policy is to regard the recycled water