On December 31, 2021, the series of national standards on guidelines for water reuse developed by Tsinghua University, China National Institute of Standardization, Shenzhen International Graduate School and other organizations was officially released with the approval of the State Administration of Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China. This series first formulated includes three standards: Water Reuse Guidelines—Water Quality Management for Water Reclamation Plants (GB/T 41016-2021), Water Reuse Guidelines—Wastewater Reclamation Technologies and Processes Evaluation Method (GB/T 41017-2021), and Water Reuse Guidelines—Reclaimed Water Classification (GB/T 41018-2021).
The first standard specifies the relevant terms, definitions, objectives, measures, the rules for water quality detection, monitoring and reporting, as well as management system of the water quality management for water reclamation plants. It also puts forward water quality management measures, which are based on hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system, for water reclamation plants. The measures mainly guide people how to identify risks, set and control critical control points, deal with abnormal water quality, and carry out emergency management.
The second standard specifies the relevant terms and definitions, as well as indexes, procedures and requirements for the evaluation of wastewater reclamation technologies and processes. It proposes the quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods for technical, economic, environmental and reliability indexes. According to the characteristics of different types of wastewater reclamation technologies or processes, it also clarifies the evaluation period, sampling time and frequency.
The third standard specifies the classification of water reused from urban sewage based on certain requirements, and it is applicable to the use planning, safety management, benefits evaluation, price determination, statistical characteristics of reclaimed water in urban areas.
With stable yield, controllable quality and close distance, urban wastewater is a reliable secondary water source for cities and towns, and has great potential. In January, 2021, National Development and Reform Commission, jointly with other nine departments, issued the Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Utilization of Sewage Resources, which defined the development objectives, important tasks and key projects of wastewater recycling in China, marking that wastewater reclamation has become a national action plan. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period and the next 15 years, China’s water reuse will thrive rapidly. It is expected to see huge development potential and market in its planning, facility construction, operation, maintenance and management.
The issuance and implementation of the Water Reuse Guidelines series will provide important standards for the utilization of wastewater resource in China, and is of great significance for strengthening the management of reclaimed water classification, guiding the development and optimization of wastewater treatment technology, and promoting the rapid development of water reuse industry.
Having worked out the standards, the preparation team will next collaborate with relevant departments to promote the publicity and implementation of the standard by teaching and interpreting them, which gives full play to their supporting role for relevant industries.
