[Mainland China] Suqian's Reclaimed Water Reuse Selected as a National Advanced Typical Case: Pioneering "6+6" Policy-Technology System, with Reclaimed Water Ecological Product Value Accounting Reaching RMB 1.283 Billion

Introduction: In early 9月, Suqian's practical experience in reclaimed water reuse was selected as a National Advanced Typical Case and promoted nationwide. Suqian pioneered the country's first reclaimed water "6+6" policy and technology system (6 technical guidelines + 6 incentive policies), with annual industrial point-to-point reclaimed water reuse exceeding 600万 cubic meters. It also took the lead in completing the value accounting of reclaimed water ecological products, with a total value of 12.83亿 yuan, providing a replicable model for reclaimed water to transition from "pilot project" to "sustainable operation."

From "Wastewater" to "Living Water": Produced, Delivered, and Utilized Effectively

Suqian is located at a key node of the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Reclaimed water reuse is not only critical to local water resource conservation but also directly related to the safety of outbound water quality. In recent years, Suqian has established a reclaimed water transmission and distribution network framework of "main arteries + capillaries," where effluent from wastewater treatment plants undergoes advanced purification before entering the city's second water supply circulation system, ensuring that reclaimed water is truly produced, delivered, and utilized effectively.

In terms of application scenarios, Suqian has moved beyond the narrow mindset that "reclaimed water is only suitable for green space watering," promoting its expansion into diverse fields:

• Industrial production — At the Canal Suqian Port Ecological Wetland, purified reclaimed water is delivered "point-to-point" via booster pump stations to resident textile smart factories. After internal pretreatment, enterprise wastewater is discharged to the port-area wastewater treatment plant, then undergoes advanced purification in the ecological wetland before being recycled back into production processes, with annual reuse exceeding 600万 cubic meters, forming a closed-loop circulation;
• River ecological water replenishment — The cross-regional tailwater diversion project delivers over 1300 tons of reclaimed water daily, continuously "transfusing and revitalizing" urban rivers with insufficient flow. Monitoring shows that water transparency in rivers receiving regular replenishment has continued to improve, with aquatic plants and organisms gradually recovering;
• Municipal greening and agricultural irrigation — Reclaimed water replaces tap water for municipal miscellaneous use and agricultural irrigation, reducing consumption of high-quality water resources.

Institutional Innovation Breaks New Ground: "Buildable" Must Also Be "Operable"

Reclaimed water reuse is not simply an engineering project — it tests long-term sustainable operation. Relying solely on project investment without institutional support can easily lead to the dilemma of "buildable but not operable." Suqian pioneered the country's first reclaimed water "6+6" policy and technology system — supported by 6 technical guidelines regulating the entire chain of reclaimed water production, transmission, distribution, and utilization, and 6 incentive policies mobilizing enthusiasm on both the supply and demand sides.

The pricing mechanism is the key to leveraging the market:

• Differentiated pricing — Differentiated water prices are implemented for industrial, ecological, and municipal uses: public-interest scenarios such as ecological water replenishment and municipal greening are guaranteed by government support; industrial water use leverages market regulation, allowing operating enterprises to earn reasonable returns while water-consuming enterprises enjoy cost benefits;
• Value quantification — The Suqian Municipal Water Resources Bureau innovatively conducted value accounting for reclaimed water ecological products, calculating a total value of 12.83亿 yuan, converting invisible ecological benefits into quantifiable economic value and providing data support for policy formulation and project evaluation;
• Market participation — The government builds the platform, enterprises handle production and transmission, and various market entities actively utilize reclaimed water, forming an operational logic of "policy support, price regulation, value quantification, and market participation."

Why the Industry Should Pay Attention: From Model Competition to Institutional Supply

Building on the exploration of 76 pilot cities since the "14th Five-Year Plan," competition in reclaimed water reuse is shifting from "project scale" to "institutional supply." The Suqian case reveals three industry signals:

• Pricing mechanisms are the watershed — No matter how good the project, it cannot sustain without a reasonable pricing mechanism. The combination of differentiated pricing + government support is becoming a replicable public solution;
• Ecological value accounting is a new tool — The accounting result of 12.83亿 yuan makes the comprehensive benefits of reclaimed water projects "visible," helping them gain higher priority in local government investment rankings, while also reserving interfaces for future ecological product value realization mechanisms (such as ecological compensation and green finance);
• Cross-regional allocation is the direction — Tailwater diversion and "point-to-point" industrial water supply demonstrate that reclaimed water is moving from intra-city circulation toward unified regional water resource allocation, with pipeline networks and dispatch capabilities becoming core competencies for operating entities.

For enterprises deeply engaged in wastewater treatment and reclaimed water reuse, projects in regions with mature institutional frameworks typically feature clearer revenue models and longer operating cycles, making them priority value areas worthy of attention in business development.

About TIANYI TECH: TIANYI LIMITED has long been dedicated to tracking global frontiers in water environment governance and water resource recycling, with deep expertise in technology intelligence and industrial services for wastewater treatment and reclaimed water reuse. We are committed to providing clients and industry partners with timely, professional industry insights and solution references.