Water Use in China: Ensuring a Sustainable

Future

Water Quality and Urban Wastewater Management in China

Yusha HuJanuary 21, 2009

Beijing Energy & Environment RoundtableHosted by Beijing Energy Network

WATER RESOURCES

HUMAN USE

Presentation will focus on the process of returning water to the natural environment

Why focus here?

“The water pollution problem is the biggest headache. While pollution in

some areas has been controlled, overall we feel that there is no fundamental improvement.”

Vice Minister Suo Lisheng of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s Ministry of Water Resources (2001-2005),

2005 interview

Class IV-V+0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Porportion of Surface Water Graded Unfit for Human Contact in Major

Rivers, Lakes and Reservoirs of China in 2006

Pe

rce

nt

Cla

ssifi

ed

Cla

ss I

V-V

+

Source: Hu, Hongying and Yudong Song. 2006. Water environmental situation and control in China. ESPC Key State JointLaboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Tsinghua University.

54% 72%

Source: World Bank 2006, data from China Environmental statistics Yearbook (various years)

Average Water Qualities in Northern

and Southern Rivers(1991-2005)

COD/BOD NitrogenInorganic (Organic matter)

(Heavy metals, etc)

Domestic IndustryAgriculture

Who's polluting what?

Ministry of Water Resources2005 Statistic Bulletin on China Water Activities

65%

25%

11%

AgriculturalIndustrialDomestic (Urban & Rural)

Distribution of Water Use Across Sectors

China's Urban Wastewater Management

The Impact of Policy and Financing

Current Situation and Goals

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

Capacity vs. Performance

Huge variation in performance:

Bottom 1/3 using less than 50% of hydraulic design capacity, top 1/3 using nearly 100%

China National Auditing Office:

77% of audited wastewater treatment plants were underutilized

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

No Money for Operation or Maintenance

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

Prices too low for water and discharge fees

Wastewater not reaching treatment plant

Wastewater plant Run by BOT joint

venture, private firm, or privatized government department

Drainage network Typically run by

district and municipal drainage department

No integration!

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

Efforts to Improve Performance

11th 5-Year Plan Water Treatment Investments

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

A closer look: Differences between cities

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

High investment from municipal governments

For Perspective: South Korea

Source: World Development Indicators & S. Korea Ministry of Environment Statistical Yearbook, cited in World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

Korean GDP per Capita vs. Percent Wastewater treated

Current standards based on the body of water a plant is discharging to, not the economic situation of the city

Can be as high as Class IA: secondary, tertiary treatment required

Uniform Standards or Transitional Standards?

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities

Standards must reflect reasonable goals and take into account resources of the city

Marginal cost of meeting extremely high standards better spent in other sectors of pollution abatement

Transitional standards!

Integrated Wastewater Management Drainage networks and treatment plants need to be

run by same entity

Decrease municipal investment, allow less complicated and more flexible private sector participation

Higher progressively priced water tariffs

Set enforceable standards

Lessons Learned and Conclusions

Source: World Bank 2007: Improving the Performance of China's Urban Water Utilities