Local housing authorities are planning to adopt new technologies to
generate “middle level” water - or recycled water in common
parlance - in new residential areas, in an attempt to save water.
After biochemical and disinfections treatment, the recycled water
will be used to irrigate greenbelts, wash cars, and even clean
toilets, according to officials with the Municipal Housing
Development Bureau.
The quality of “middle level” water is lower than common tap water
- or so-called “high level” water - although the standards for
bacteria and chlorine content are just as strict as they are for
tap water production. The major difference is the oxygen content of
recycled water which is hard to trace in tap water, officials
said.
"The more oxygen the recycled water has, the more organic matter it
will contain, and hence worse its quality. But since the water will
not be used for drinking or bathing, it is not necessary for it to
have tap water quality, meaning getting rid of all the oxygen
content," said Xu Hanzhong, a senior engineer with the bureau's
housing industry department.
He
said the bureau has allotted about 1.2 million yuan (US$144,000)
for development of this new water-saving method, said to be popular
in countries like the United States and Israel.
From the year-end, four new real estate projects will invest
millions of yuan to build recycling facilities within the
residential areas, as well as lay separate pipelines into
individual houses to collect drained water used for bathing or
washing, which will be treated in a workshop and then pumped
back.
Moreover, rain water will be collected and recycled through the
pipes as well.
“The recycled water will be safe,” Xu said, cautioning, however,
that it will not be suitable for drinking or bathing.
Situ Fukang, the director for one of the four projects, "Olympic
Garden," located in suburban Songjiang District, revealed that
construction for the 3-million yuan recycling system will begin in
December and will start operations around the middle of next year.
The 67-hectare project will house 7,000 families after the
completion of the first phase.
(eastday.com October 24,
2001)