The implementation plan for the construction and management of domestic sewage and garbage treatment facilities in organized towns will be promoted

First, it is of great practical significance to promote the treatment of sewage and garbage in established towns

1. It will help deepen ecological and environmental governance. In recent years, China's urban domestic sewage waste treatment has achieved positive results, the treatment capacity of facilities has grown rapidly, and the collection, transportation and disposal system has been continuously improved, laying a solid foundation for in-depth pollution prevention and control. However, there are still shortcomings in the sewage waste treatment facilities of the established towns, as of the end of 2021, there are still one-third of the established towns do not have the sewage treatment capacity, the domestic sewage treatment rate is about 62%, and the domestic waste harmless treatment rate is about 76%. Problems such as the large gap of sewage and garbage treatment facilities in established towns and the unsustainable operation of existing facilities have been repeatedly mentioned by the central ecological environmental protection inspectors.

(2) It will help improve the environmental infrastructure network covering urban and rural areas. The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan proposes to form an environmental infrastructure network extending from cities to towns and villages. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China made it clear that the construction of environmental infrastructure should be improved and the improvement of urban and rural living environment should be promoted. The "Implementation Plan" has effectively filled the policy gap of sewage waste treatment at the level of organized towns, based on the characteristics of organized towns, focused on the needs of actual problems, clarified the cascade objectives, emphasized local conditions, classified policies, strengthened the management of facility construction, and provided effective policy guidance for comprehensively improving the supply quality and operation efficiency of facilities.

(3) It is conducive to promoting a new type of urbanization with county towns as an important carrier. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and The General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Promoting Urbanization Construction with county counties as an important Carrier, proposing to promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas with county areas as the basic unit. The established town is the key link to promote the extension and coverage of county infrastructure to the countryside. The level of environmental infrastructure determines the living environment and overall appearance of built-up towns. Promoting the upgrading and expansion of sewage and garbage treatment facilities in built-up towns will effectively improve the quality of the living environment, effectively enhance the attractiveness of farmers, enhance the ability to radiate to the countryside, and effectively promote the realization of local urbanization.

Second, comprehensively strengthen the concept of systemic governance

1. Emphasizing overall planning and synergies. The "Implementation plan" clearly coordinates multiple factors such as natural endowments, economic and social development status, and ecological and environmental governance needs, including construction, operation, management and other links, covering the full cycle of "collection - treatment - resource utilization", and promoting the construction of sewage and garbage treatment facilities. The "Implementation plan" proposes to promote the simultaneous development of plant and network, the same governance of mud and water, and the promotion of integrated construction, operation and co-construction and sharing of facilities. The Implementation Plan points out that pollution control, ecological protection and resource conservation should be coordinated to promote the synergies of pollution reduction and carbon conservation.

2. Emphasizing policies tailored to local conditions. According to the Statistical Yearbook of Urban and Rural Construction in 2021 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, there are currently 19,000 built-up towns across the country, with a permanent population of 180 million in built-up areas. Affected by social economy, population size, geographical conditions and other factors, the amount and composition of domestic sewage waste in various towns and cities vary greatly, and the urban infrastructure construction model and standard cannot be blindly copied. The "Implementation Plan" proposes that, based on location characteristics, natural geographical conditions and water quality and quantity characteristics, the treatment mode should be selected according to local conditions, centralized when appropriate, decentralized when appropriate, taking into account standardization and operability, and research and formulation of local construction, operation and discharge standards to avoid blindly raising standards.

3. Emphasizing orderly progress and key breakthroughs. With the overall improvement of the sewage waste treatment level in organized towns as the starting point, with the organized towns above a certain scale and in key areas as the focus, the sewage waste treatment work in organized towns across the country will be promoted in an orderly manner. The "Implementation plan" clearly states that by 2025, the built-up areas of towns with a permanent population of more than 50,000 will basically eliminate the blank areas of the collection pipe network, and the built-up areas of towns with a permanent population of more than 10,000 and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will basically achieve full coverage of domestic sewage treatment capacity. Key towns in key areas with conditions take the lead in carrying out the classification and collection of domestic garbage, and gradually form the classification and collection mode of domestic garbage in organized towns with points and surfaces.

Third, we need to pursue green and low-carbon development

1. Do your best and do what you can. In order to avoid the phenomenon of "rushing forward" and blindly "laying out projects" in the local area when accelerating the completion of the shortcomings of the facilities in the established towns, the Implementation Plan emphasizes that the construction timing should be reasonably arranged, the overall connection between the built up areas and rural areas should be made good, and repeated investment and construction should be avoided. Sewage treatment facilities should not only meet the current needs, but also avoid blindly greedy or excessively advanced construction, and can not blindly raise the standard. Coordinate and improve the collection, transportation and treatment systems of domestic waste in cities, counties and towns, and gradually promote the full coverage of the treatment capacity of towns.

(2) Adhere to green environmental protection, intensive and efficient. The "Implementation plan" is clear, and the domestic sewage treatment process with low cost, low energy consumption, easy maintenance and impact resistance is selected. Towns with small populations and low concentration should promote miniaturized, decentralized, and ecological treatment facilities. Prevent secondary pollution from centralized treatment facilities, do a good job in odor control, and renovate storage facilities. In order to encourage collaborative governance and joint construction and sharing of facilities, the Implementation Plan points out that neighboring towns can jointly build sewage treatment facilities across towns, coordinate the treatment of sludge, garbage and other waste, and jointly build large-scale waste incineration treatment facilities across towns (counties, cities).

3. Adhere to the recycling of resources and use them nearby. We should make full use of natural space, promote local recycling, and realize the synergistic effect of pollution reduction, carbon reduction and saving in the whole cycle of "collection, treatment and resource utilization". The "Implementation Plan" proposes that the organized towns with agricultural characteristics can separate the black and ash of domestic sewage, treat it separately and use it as resources, promote the recycling of recycled water to nearby natural water bodies, and use it for industrial production and municipal utility, explore the recycling and utilization of organic matter and nutrient resources such as nitrogen and phosphorus in sludge, and promote simple and easy garbage classification and resource utilization methods.

Fourth, promote the overall work of the county

(A) Encourage the county as a unit to plan the layout of facilities. There are a large number of established towns in China. According to statistics, established towns with a permanent population of less than 10,000 people account for more than 70%, which shows that the population size is relatively small. County overall planning is conducive to increasing factor flow, realizing resource integration and optimizing allocation. The "implementation plan" proposes to take the county area as the unit, rationally plan the layout, process, scale and service scope of sewage collection and treatment facilities in established towns, coordinate the construction of sludge treatment facilities, and adopt "household classification, village collection, town transfer, city and county treatment" for waste treatment, and promote the extension of existing facility treatment capacity to rural areas if conditions permit.

(2) To encourage the county as a unit to promote professional operation and maintenance. According to statistics, more than 13,000 sewage treatment plants have been built in China's established towns, of which about 80% have a daily processing capacity of less than 2,500 tons, indicating that the scale of a single facility is relatively small. County overall planning is conducive to improving industrial concentration, reducing operating costs, and improving the systematization and stability of facility operation. The "Implementation plan" proposes to encourage the county as a unit, select the operation and maintenance main body through market competition, implement professional management, actively cultivate the domestic sewage and garbage treatment operation enterprises of the county as a whole, promote the organic combination of revitalization stock and renovation and expansion, encourage the establishment of the county sewage and garbage treatment information system, achieve remote tracking and regulatory control, and promote automated operation.

(3) Encourage the county as a unit to explore and sum up experience and practices. In view of the large number of established towns and the complex situation of sewage garbage collection and treatment, it is urgent to adhere to the problem-oriented, grasp the correct path, actively explore the experience that can be copied, used for reference, and promoted, and constantly enhance the pertinency and innovation of work. The "Implementation Plan" proposes to promote the construction of key counties with sewage waste treatment facilities in established towns, sum up typical experience, and promote successful practices.

Fifth, actively consolidate multiple safeguards

(1) Compacting the main responsibilities of the government. The "Implementation Plan" makes it clear that local governments should implement the relevant goals and tasks, strengthen departmental communication and coordination, increase financial support, broaden investment and financing channels, do a good job in element protection, improve the pricing mechanism, and strengthen the collection of fees. We will increase effective incentives for operating enterprises, and implement regular evaluation, credit supervision, performance appraisal, and payment according to performance. We will strengthen control over the whole process, investigate and rectify key problems, and strictly control security risks.

(2) Compaction enterprise direct responsibility. The "Implementation plan" emphasizes that the quality control of sewage pipe network construction should be strengthened, the corrosion resistance and pressure resistance should be prioritizing, and the stable and durable sewage treatment facilities and equipment should be selected, and the waste should be avoided by "first dividing and then mixing" and "mixed loading and transportation", so as to improve the level of facility operation and management, and achieve "affordable construction and good management". Enforce orders and prohibitions, improve service levels, innovate management models, and promote professional and socialized operation and management. Enterprises are encouraged to use green bonds, asset securitization and other means to expand financing channels in accordance with the law and regulations.

(3) Enhancing public and social participation. The "implementation plan" pointed out that to increase publicity efforts, encourage sewage waste treatment facilities to open to the public, increase the awareness and participation of the masses in sewage waste treatment, actively attract social capital to participate in the construction and operation of facilities, and guide local residents to participate in the construction and operation of facilities by means of work relief and labor investment.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's ecological environment governance has been promoted in depth, and the treatment of sewage and garbage in established towns is in an important window period, with opportunities and challenges co-existing. The "implementation Plan" laid the foundation for the next step of the work, it is recommended that all localities pay close attention to implementation, adhere to the system concept, adhere to the problem-oriented, in accordance with the idea of "county overall planning, systematic governance, green low-carbon, stable operation", effectively and orderly promote the optimal layout of facilities, make up for weaknesses, improve quality, maintain operation and maintenance, and improve the sewage garbage collection and treatment and resource recycling system in organized towns. We will effectively improve the environmental infrastructure network, continue to promote green development, and build a beautiful China.