On Nov 4th, Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) published the draft of Discharge Standard on Urban Sewage Treatment Plant which is open to public comment until Dec 10th.
The current standard was first issued in 2002. This draft is the first amendment to it. The amendment team conducted detailed research on the industries associated with massive sewage discharge such as the iron and steel industry, textile industry, pharmaceutical industry and proposed reasonable amendments on the current version. The main changes include:
The application scope of the standard is adjusted. Extra requirements are made on the sewage treatment facilities who provide services to more than two discharging plants.
The grading of sewage disposition is abolished.
The number of defined pollutants is expanded from 62 to 103. 2 of the added 41 items are basic control items, the other 39 are optional control items.
The discharge requirements of some pollutants are raised higher.
Discharge limits of certain water pollutants are proposed.
The stepping control of the atmospheric pollutants is abolished.
The indicator of “total amount of bacteria” is added to the requirements of sludge.
The standards on pollutants monitor and analysis are updated.
