Guiding opinions on promoting the resource utilization of sewage

I. General requirements

(1) Guiding ideology.  In accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and The State Council, the government shall systematically carry out the resource utilization of sewage in urban, industrial, agricultural and rural areas, focusing on water-scarce areas and water-sensitive areas, taking the resource utilization of domestic sewage in urban areas as a breakthrough, and taking industrial utilization and ecological water replenishment as the main channels. It shall do a good job in top-level design, strengthen overall coordination, improve policies and measures, and strengthen supervision and management. Carry out pilot demonstrations to promote the utilization of sewage resources in China to achieve high-quality development.

(2) Basic principles.

Give priority to water conservation and promote it in a coordinated manner. Uphold the concept of "water saving is pollution control", adhere to the priority of water saving, and strengthen the double control of the total amount and intensity of water use. The resource utilization of sewage is regarded as an important content of water saving and open source, and recycled water is included in the unified allocation of water resources, and the resource utilization of sewage is comprehensively and systematically promoted.

Adopt policies based on local conditions and categories. According to the local water resources endowment, water environment carrying capacity, development needs, economic and technical level and other factors, the sewage resource utilization work should be classified and differentiated measures should be implemented. We will determine objectives and tasks in a scientific way, rationally select key areas and ways to use them, and implement supply-by-demand, quality-by-use, and quality-by-quality control.

Government-guided, market-driven. We will strengthen standard constraints, strictly monitor and assess market entities, and standardize their behavior. We will improve the pricing mechanism, increase fiscal and financial incentives, guide private capital input, and give full play to the decisive role of the market in allocating resources.

Scientific and technological guidance, pilot demonstration. We will strengthen scientific and technological support, strengthen research and development of key generic technologies and equipment, and popularize advanced and applicable technologies and processes. We will carry out pilot demonstrations to explore the formation of replicable and scalable sewage resource utilization models.

3. Overall Objectives. By 2025, the national sewage collection efficiency has been significantly improved, the sewage treatment capacity of county towns and cities has basically met the needs of local economic and social development, and the sewage treatment in water-sensitive areas has basically been upgraded. The utilization rate of reclaimed water in water-scarce cities at the prefecture level and above has reached more than 25%, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has reached more than 35%. The reuse of industrial water, manure of livestock and poultry and the utilization of tail water resources in fishery and breeding have been significantly improved. A policy system and market mechanism for the utilization of sewage resources have been basically established. By 2035, a systematic, safe, environmentally friendly and economical sewage resource utilization pattern will be formed.

Second, strive to promote the utilization of sewage resources in key areas

4. Accelerating the utilization of urban domestic sewage resources. Systematic analysis of the growing production, domestic and ecological water demand, based on existing sewage treatment plants, rational layout of reclaimed water utilization infrastructure. In water-rich areas, discharge limits for sewage treatment plants have been scientifically and reasonably determined in light of the needs for improving the quality of the water ecological environment in river basins, with stable and standard discharge being the main focus, and differentiated zoning upgrading and precise pollution control have been implemented. In water-scarce areas, especially water-quality water-scarce areas, on the premise of ensuring the stable discharge of sewage up to the standard, priority should be given to converting the discharge water up to the standard into utilizable water resources, replenishment of natural water bodies nearby, and promoting the recycling of regional sewage resources. Resource-based water shortage areas shall implement water supply and quality based on demand, rationally arrange the layout and construction of sewage treatment plant networks, strictly implement the water quality standards stipulated by the state while promoting the use of recycled water for industrial production and municipal utility, and use recycled water as ecological water supply for rivers, lakes and wetlands by means of step-by-step water replenishment. Water shortage areas that have the conditions can adopt decentralized and miniaturized treatment and reuse facilities, and the domestic sewage in residential communities, schools, enterprises and institutions that are not covered by the municipal pipe network can be treated to meet the standards to achieve nearby reuse. Projects in high-water consumption industries such as thermal power, petrochemical, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, paper making, printing and dyeing, which have the conditions to use recycled water but are not effectively used, shall strictly control the new water intake permits.