A bird's eye view of Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: huzhoufabu]

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently unveiled its second batch of 19 cities selected to pilot regional recycled water reuse, with Huzhou emerging as the sole representative from Zhejiang province.

Regional recycled water reuse involves the construction of customized engineering facilities to purify water quality at crucial points downstream from key sewage outlets, where rivers flow into lakes or seas, and where tributaries merge. Once the treated water meets specified standards through further purification and enhancement, it is put to strategic use within specific areas, including production, ecology, and daily life.

Currently, Huzhou boasts 47 urban sewage treatment plants that have been upgraded to meet regulatory standards, ensuring that the quality of effluent water aligns with the Class IV standard for surface water. Notably, 35 of these treatment plants have implemented regional recycling of effluent water, tailored to local conditions and encompassing activities such as landscape replenishment, municipal miscellaneous use, and industrial applications.

Huzhou is actively promoting differentiated water supply, encouraging the varied use of water across different industries, and advocating for the adoption of recycled water. "Recycled water will be seamlessly integrated into the unified allocation of water resources to advance regional recycled water reuse," affirmed an official at the Huzhou Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment.