[Chinese Mainland] Ministry of Water Resources: National Total Reclaimed Water Utilization Exceeds 25.6 Billion Cubic Meters; Water Consumption per 10,000 Yuan of GDP to Drop Another 10% During the "15th Five-Year Plan" Period

The Ministry of Water Resources disclosed at the State Council Information Office's "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan" series of themed press conferences: China's total reclaimed water utilization has exceeded 256亿 cubic meters, of which Beijing's reclaimed water utilization last year reached 14.5亿 cubic meters, accounting for about one-third of the city's total annual water consumption. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the Ministry of Water Resources will fully implement the rigid water resource constraint system and promote a further reduction of 10% respectively in water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and water consumption per 10,000 yuan of industrial value added compared with the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan".

I. Basic Water Conditions: Abundant Population but Scarce Water Remains a Long-Term National Reality

Sun Zhiyu, Vice Minister of Water Resources, stated at the press conference that China's basic water conditions are characterized by "summer floods and winter droughts, scarcity in the north and abundance in the south," and per capita water resources are only about 35% of the world average. A large population with limited water and uneven spatial and temporal distribution are the basic national and water conditions China will face for a long time to come, which requires that we must promptly and effectively promote the conservation and intensive use of water resources.

Data confirm the effectiveness of water conservation: during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, while China's total economic output continued to maintain steady growth, the national total water consumption remained generally stable at around 6000亿 cubic meters, and water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and per 10,000 yuan of industrial value added dropped to 42.4 cubic meters and 22.9 cubic meters respectively, marking a relatively large improvement in water resource utilization efficiency.

II. Reclaimed Water Becomes the "Second Water Source": Structural Changes Behind 256亿 Cubic Meters

Among various unconventional water sources, the growth of reclaimed water is the most striking. Last year, China's total reclaimed water utilization exceeded 256亿 cubic meters, mainly used for ecological environment and industrial purposes.

Beijing's example is the most convincing. Last year, the city's reclaimed water utilization reached 14.5亿 cubic meters, accounting for about one-third of the city's total annual water consumption. In terms of ecological water replenishment for urban rivers and lakes, Beijing, in conjunction with the Wenyu River channel restoration, replenishes 7万 cubic meters of reclaimed water per day. Through ecological restoration technologies, the water quality and ecological environment of the Wenyu River have been significantly improved, and the wetland, river, and lake water systems within the basin have initially shown a vibrant scene of "gulls gathering and fish swimming."

From a national perspective, reclaimed water utilization is showing three obvious characteristics:

• From supplementary water source to stable water source — Reclaimed water is no longer an emergency "backup" for the dry season, but a conventional water source incorporated into the unified allocation of water resources, forming stable usage in scenarios such as ecological water replenishment, industrial cooling, and municipal miscellaneous use.
• From single-point utilization to pipeline-network allocation — Many places are building cross-regional reclaimed water transmission and distribution trunk pipelines, connecting reclaimed water plants with industrial users, river and lake replenishment points, and municipal water intake points into a network, achieving large-scale substitution.
• From the end of pollution treatment to the center of value — Wastewater treatment plants are transforming from "pollution treatment facilities" into "water resource factories," and supporting systems such as reclaimed water pricing mechanisms, water rights trading, and ecological product value accounting are being continuously improved.

III. Four Measures for the "15th Five-Year Plan": How Rigid Constraints Are Implemented

Sun Zhiyu stated that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the Ministry of Water Resources will fully implement the rigid water resource constraint system, use water resources carefully and meticulously, and manage water resources strictly and in detail. The main measures are as follows:

1. Implement the rigid water resource constraint system

Strictly implement the "dual control" of both total water volume and intensity indicators, organize all localities to determine development according to water availability and act according to water availability, implement differentiated water resource management and control, promote water rights trading, reduce unreasonable water demand, and improve water resource utilization efficiency.

2. Strengthen water conservation in key areas

Deeply implement the national water conservation action, vigorously promote water conservation and efficiency improvement in agriculture, water conservation and emission reduction in industry, and water conservation and loss reduction in cities and towns, further shore up shortcomings in the field of water conservation, and accelerate the cultivation of the water conservation industry. Reclaimed water utilization is a key direction among these.

3. Strengthen water intake monitoring

In terms of water intake metering, China has established 548万 water intake metering files, accounting for 98.4% of the total number of water intake points nationwide; and has established 42万 online water intake metering and monitoring points, basically covering all sectors nationwide. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, intelligent monitoring will also be vigorously promoted, using digital and intelligent empowerment to improve the level of water intake monitoring and management.

4. Continue to promote groundwater overexploitation treatment

In recent years, groundwater overexploitation treatment has achieved notable results: in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei treatment area, shallow groundwater levels have risen by an average of 3.76 meters, and deep groundwater levels have risen by an average of 7.65 meters, with the deepest deep groundwater funnel area rising by as much as 32 meters. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, treatment in key areas such as North China will continue to be strengthened to achieve a balance between extraction and recharge in shallow overexploitation areas and further restoration in deep overexploitation areas.

IV. Industry Observation: The Reclaimed Water Industry Enters a Period of Large-Scale Expansion

Policy certainty is being transformed into market certainty. For the wastewater treatment and reclaimed water reuse industry, at least three directions deserve attention during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period:

• Industrial Reclaimed Water Substitution — The goal of further reducing water consumption per RMB 10,000 of industrial value added by 10% will force high water-consuming industries such as steel, chemicals, power, and textiles to increase the proportion of reclaimed water substitution. The "point-to-point" reclaimed water supply model in industrial parks is expected to be replicated at an accelerated pace.
• Long-term Ecological Water Replenishment — River and lake ecological water replenishment has become one of the most important destinations for reclaimed water, imposing higher requirements on the control of nitrogen, phosphorus, and emerging pollutants in effluent quality, with a corresponding rise in demand for advanced treatment processes.
• Smart Operation — The rollout of online water intake metering and smart monitoring systems means that the entire process of reclaimed water production, transmission, and use will be incorporated into digital supervision. Operators with capabilities in data collection, model analysis, and intelligent regulation will be more competitive.

Industry analysts believe that with the full implementation of the rigid water resource constraint system and the acceleration of water-saving industry cultivation, reclaimed water is moving from "policy advocacy" to "rigid demand." For enterprises, whoever can provide reclaimed water system solutions with stable water quality, controllable costs, and traceable metering will seize the initiative in this round of industrial expansion.

TIANYI TECH (TIANYI LIMITED) focuses on the field of wastewater treatment and reclaimed water reuse. Serving diverse scenarios including municipal, industrial parks, and ecological water replenishment, it provides integrated services covering reclaimed water system design, advanced treatment process integration, transmission and distribution pipeline network construction, and smart operation. With "stable compliance, energy saving and consumption reduction, and resource recycling" as its core objectives, the company helps customers truly put reclaimed water to use, use it steadily, and use it economically, creating long-term value in the era of rigid water resource constraints.

Source: Compiled from the State Council Information Office "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan" series of themed press conferences, publicly released content from the Ministry of Water Resources, and Economic Daily reports.