Jiangsu Region Effluent Diversion and Treatment Planning

Author: Zuo Yuhui Tang Liang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-06
Features: The systematic integrated regional water pollution control model can be summarized as "three-level control and three-level standards." The first level, pollution source control, achieves emission standards; the second level, centralized wastewater treatment, ensures that wastewater treatment plants meet discharge standards; the third level, tailwater treatment and disposal, ultimately reaches water environment standards. Tailwater refers to industrial, domestic, and agricultural discharges that have been treated but have not yet met water environment standards. Tailwater is not equivalent to clean water, and tailwater treatment is the "finishing move" in regional water pollution control. Jiangsu borders the Huai River to the north, the Taihu Lake to the south, and crosses the Yangtze River in the middle, reaching the East China Sea. These are among China's key "three rivers," "three lakes," and "three seas" for remediation. Additionally, the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project runs through the entire northern part of Jiangsu, making it one of China's "three routes" for the project. The river systems in Jiangsu are highly representative.
Combining the characteristics of Jiangsu's river systems, the basic strategies for water pollution control can be summarized as "two systems for clean and polluted water, source control and flow guidance, and ecological treatment." The "two systems for clean and polluted water" refers to the separation of clean and polluted water into two independent systems, each with a different management approach. The basic idea for establishing the wastewater system is "source control and flow guidance." Source control involves managing urban domestic, industrial, agricultural, and river-lake internal pollution sources, while flow guidance fundamentally cuts off pollution loads entering clean water systems. By diverting regional tailwater away from sensitive areas and closely aligning with national and provincial conditions, it is easier to implement ecological treatment.
Based on these strategies, a three-line project plan for regional tailwater scheduling and treatment in Jiangsu has been developed, including the Xinyi River Tailwater Scheduling and Treatment Project, the South Branch of the Inland Sea Waterway Tailwater Scheduling and Treatment Project, and the regional tailwater scheduling and treatment plan for central and southern Jiangsu. The northern line was fully completed and put into operation in June 2000, and the central line was completed in 2003. The northern and central lines, along with their extensions, can ensure that the water quality of the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project remains free from pollution within Jiangsu and provide safety guarantees for other clean water bodies in northern Jiangsu.
The strategic goal of the southern line is to address the scheduling and treatment of tailwater in the lower Yangtze River-Taihu Lake system. It includes a wastewater source control system, a tailwater flow guidance system, and a tidal flat ecological engineering system. The scientific and importance of the southern line can be analyzed from the perspective of "five laws synergy." Under the joint effect of economic, social, and technical laws, the growth of tailwater loads is inevitable. Due to natural laws, tailwater entering the lake will promote algal growth, while tailwater entering the river will exacerbate red tides in the East China Sea, all of which are antagonistic to environmental goals. However, by diverting tailwater away from the sensitive Taihu Lake-Yangtze River area and into the tidal flat ecological engineering system, under the influence of natural laws, it can promote reed growth and achieve purification, realizing "five laws synergy."