Policy Interpretatio
2026-10-21Introduction: At the State Council Information Office press conference on "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan," the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development made it clear that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will build and renovate approximately 77万 km of urban underground pipeline networks, driving investment of approximately 5万 billion yuan. Among these, sewage pipelines account for approximately 10万 km and drainage pipelines approximately 17.5万 km. As of the end of 2025年, the total length of urban underground pipeline networks nationwide reached 386万 km, with utility tunnels at 7872 km.
How 77万 km Is Allocated: Sewage Pipelines Listed Separately for the First Time
According to the breakdown disclosed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the construction and renovation tasks during the 15th Five-Year Plan period are divided into five types of pipeline networks plus one type of utility tunnel:
- Gas pipeline networks — approximately 20万 km;
- Drainage pipeline networks — approximately 17.5万 km;
- Water supply pipeline networks — approximately 17.5万 km;
- Sewage pipeline networks — approximately 10万 km;
- Heating pipeline networks — approximately 12万 km;
- Utility tunnels — advanced according to local conditions, in parallel with the above categories.
The point most worthy of industry attention here is that sewage pipeline networks appear for the first time as an independent category in a national-level engineering quantity list. In the past, pipeline-related policy documents conventionally merged sewage and rainwater under the term "drainage pipeline networks." This time, sewage has been separated out at 10万 km, meaning that sewage collection systems are no longer regarded as an appendage of drainage and flood prevention, but rather as a business segment with independent assessment, independent investment, and independent schedules.
In terms of scale, 10万 km is equivalent to adding approximately one quarter to the existing 386万 km of urban underground pipeline networks; based on a rough conversion of the 5万 billion yuan total investment, the investment corresponding to sewage pipelines is on the order of 6000亿 yuan, not yet including the supporting upgrading and expansion of sewage treatment plants and pump station construction.
The "Hidden Works" Among the Six Networks: Why Now
Urban underground pipeline networks have been included in the "six networks" of national priority layout — water networks, new-type power grids, computing networks, next-generation communication networks, urban underground pipeline networks, and logistics networks. Compared with the other five networks, the particularity of underground pipeline networks lies in the fact that they generate almost no direct revenue, yet they determine a city's safety bottom line and operational efficiency.
Timing is also critical. Setting the pipeline network plan at the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period forms a continuation with the investment focus of wastewater treatment in previous years: the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plan periods addressed insufficient treatment capacity, with large-scale construction of new wastewater treatment plants across the country; entering the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the treatment capacity gap has been largely filled, and what truly constrains the industry has become insufficient collection capacity.
This judgment is supported by data. For many years, wastewater treatment plants in many cities have long faced the problem of low influent pollutant concentrations — designed according to domestic sewage concentrations, the actual incoming water is diluted by groundwater, river water, and rainwater, resulting in COD concentrations persistently below 100 mg/L. The root cause lies not in the plants but in the pipeline networks: combined sewer systems in old urban areas, damaged and leaking pipes, and misconnected and cross-connected pipes in urban villages. The separate listing of 10万 km of sewage pipelines this time indicates that the competent authorities' diagnosis of the cause has shifted from "plants" to "networks."
Four Measures: The Order of Orders Read from "Inspect First, Then Renew"
To complete these 77万 km, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has specified four working methods, among which "inspect first, then renew" has the most direct impact on market rhythm:
- Assessment First, Renewal Second — Leverage urban assessment outcomes to optimize and adjust construction and renovation implementation plans, plan projects scientifically, and implement them in an orderly manner;
- Ensure Quality and Safety — Control every gate of planning, design, construction, and acceptance, with full-process quality and safety management;
- Adhere to Equal Emphasis on Construction and Management — In accordance with the principle of "whoever owns is responsible, whoever operates maintains," clarify the responsible entities for operation and maintenance, and establish a regular inspection and maintenance system;
- Build Synergy — Improve departmental communication and collaboration mechanisms, and strengthen coordination in areas such as element guarantees and administrative approvals.
The six words "Assessment First, Renewal Second" effectively define the sequence of pipeline network projects over the next five years: investigation and inspection services will be released before engineering services. Urban assessment requires first ascertaining the location, pipe diameter, material, defect grade, and operating load of existing pipeline networks before determining which pipe sections need repair, which need replacement, and which need new construction. This means that "diagnostic" demands such as pipeline network surveying and detection, CCTV pipeline endoscopic inspection, online flow and liquid level monitoring, and water quality fingerprint tracing will be the first to scale up during 2026–2027年.
Meanwhile, "equal emphasis on construction and management" extends opportunities from the construction period to the operation period. After clarifying "whoever owns is responsible, whoever operates maintains," pipeline networks are no longer assets that "no one manages once construction is completed and handed over." Regular inspection and maintenance have become rigid requirements, corresponding to long-term operation and maintenance service contracts and continuous procurement of inspection equipment and sensing devices.
How to Connect with Demand on the Wastewater Treatment Plant Side
If 10万 kilometers of wastewater pipeline networks are viewed in isolation, they are easily regarded as pure civil engineering volume; but when placed together with the operating logic of wastewater treatment systems, it becomes clear that the demands on both sides are interlocking.
- Influent concentration increase → process load change — After pipeline network rehabilitation reduces infiltration, the concentration of wastewater entering plants rises. Some wastewater treatment plants originally operating at low concentrations will face insufficient carbon sources or the need to re-check treatment capacity, requiring adaptive adjustments to the biochemical section and aeration system;
- Collection rate increase → water volume increase — More wastewater is genuinely collected, and in some areas plant treatment capacity will fail to keep up with collection capacity, leading to demand for "plant-network matching" renovation and expansion;
- Rainwater-sewage separation → overflow pollution control — In areas where separation is inadequate, initial rainwater will still impact the wastewater system, and "one point, one policy" storage and rapid treatment facilities will become supporting facilities.
In other words, the multiplier effect of pipeline network investment goes beyond the pipeline network itself; it will simultaneously drive wastewater treatment plant renovation and expansion, pumping station capacity expansion, storage facility construction, and smart water platforms. For enterprises, focusing only on 10万 kilometers of pipes is a narrow perspective; the real opportunity lies in the complete chain of "collection—transport—treatment—discharge."
Three Reminders for Industry Enterprises
Facing a long-cycle market on the order of 5万 billion yuan, there are three points worth preparing for in advance:
- Capability portfolios must move forward — Pure pipeline construction qualifications are insufficient to undertake integrated "assessment + renewal" projects; testing and diagnosis, trenchless rehabilitation, and data platform capabilities need to be bundled with construction capabilities;
- Pay attention to project organization methods below the provincial level — 77万 kilometers is the national total; during implementation, projects will be organized with cities as units, and the release timing of urban assessment outcomes is the release node for project information;
- Make operation and maintenance capability a threshold — "Equal emphasis on construction and management" means owners will increasingly prefer partners with long-term operation and maintenance capabilities, and bidders with separated construction and operation will be at a disadvantage.
It is worth noting that the disclosed figures also provide a base of 386万 kilometers of existing stock as of the end of 2025年. Calculated on the basis of 77万 kilometers of renovation over five years, the average annual renovation volume is approximately 4% of the existing stock. This pace is not aggressive, but its strength lies in stability — for equipment and technical service suppliers, a five-year, predictable stock renewal market is more suitable for long-term capacity and personnel planning than one-off explosive large-scale new construction projects.
Conclusion
77万 kilometers, 5万 billion yuan, 10万 kilometers of wastewater pipeline networks — these three numbers together form the clearest demand map of water infrastructure during the "15th Five-Year Plan." The core signal it conveys is: the focus of China's urban water governance has shifted from "insufficient treatment capacity" to "collection system backlog." Whoever can form closed-loop capabilities along the chain of pipeline network diagnosis, rehabilitation, and long-term operation and maintenance will secure a stable position in this five-year stock renewal cycle.
About TIANYI TECH: TIANYI LIMITED focuses on the fields of wastewater treatment, reclaimed water reuse, and water environment governance, providing municipal and industrial clients with full-chain services including process design, equipment integration, engineering general contracting, and smart operations. The company continuously tracks global water treatment policies, technologies, and market dynamics, and is committed to helping clients achieve efficient utilization and sustainable management of water resources through reliable solutions. For more information, please visit the company website www.tianyitech.hk.
Source: China Construction News Network "About 5万 billion yuan investment! Small pipe networks connected to big livelihoods" (2026年10月9日), CNR "Accelerating the Construction of a New Model for Real Estate Development" (2026年10月7日), compiled based on public statements from the State Council Information Office's "Starting the 15th Five-Year Plan" series of themed press conferences and relevant officials of the Urban Construction Department of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
