China Issues Technical Guideline on Urban Waste Water TreatmentChina Tuesday issued a 10-page technical guideline on urban waste water treatment, in a bid to clean up the country's polluted rivers.Yang Luyu, director of the Department of Urban Construction under the Ministry of Construction, said at a news briefing that about 70 percent of the waste water in urban China is discharged directly into water areas without treatment, resulting in the pollution of more than one third of the country's rivers. As part of the framework plan for national urban waste water treatment, the policy serves as an important guideline for local governments in planning and building water treatment plants, the director said. By the end of last year, only 31 percent of the waste water in urban China was treated by about 398 waste water treatment plants. According to the guideline, at least half of the waste water should be treated in towns and cities across China by 2010, while for some major cities at least 70 percent of the waste water should be treated. Some experts believe that more than 30 billion yuan is needed each year during the coming 10 years to reach the waste water treatment targets. The guideline is based on advanced techniques used at home and abroad, the director said. |
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