Use of Reclaimed Water in China: management issues and strategies

Abstract

As one of the fastest economic growing country in the world, China faces many water challenges. While there is no magic bullet to solving those challenges, a diversified selection of alternative water resources to help stretch traditional freshwater supplies is one of the optimal solutions. For this reason, the view of managing wastewater is moving from safe disposal of the treated product to incorporating it into the water supply. Since reclaimed water is increasingly consider being a valuable resource, the management of reclaimed water is also going to play a significant role in China’s future water management. This paper aims to give an overview of reclaimed water used activities in China and outline some issues arise from the management defect. And the innovative management strategies relevant to the management that put forward in this paper may become a part of the journey towards sustainable management of water resources in China.
Key words: Reclaimed water; Historic and modern applications; Issues; Strategies