A variety of activities are being held across Hunan from May 9th to 15th, to mark the 30th National Urban Water Conservation Publicity Week. According to the Hunan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Changde and Chenzhou have been rated as national water-saving cities. The cities of Changsha, Hengyang, and Xiangtan, and Guiyang County have been rated as provincial water-saving cities. Remarkable results have been achieved in water saving, water conservancy, and water management.

At the Yanghu Water Reclamation Plant in Yuelu District, Changsha, the effluent is chlorinated and disinfected. The effluent then is used to water plants and clean roads in New Yanghu Ecological Town and Dawangshan. Such practices have been found across the province. Local housing and urban-rural departments have vigorously promoted the construction of urban wastewater reclamation and reuse facilities for ecological landscape, industrial production, and urban greening. This reduces fresh water use and sewage discharge in urban areas.

The plumbing system is improved and priority is given to water saving. The Hunan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development instructs all local departments to strengthen partition and measurement management of the plumbing system, accelerate old water supply system transformation, establish a refined management model and a leakage control system, and improve the operation and management of the plumbing system. The leakage rate of the water supply network in Rucheng County is 4.6%, which is an international advanced level. Provincial urban water supply network leakage is also decreasing, reaching an average of 9.3% by the end of 2020.

The idea of “sponge city” is put forward to improve the city’s ability to use, regulate, and collect rainwater and it is integrated into urban planning, construction, and management. A Hunan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development spokesperson said that sponge cities in the province cover 189 square kilometers. After a preliminary assessment, 84 of the 453 drainage partitions met sponge city construction requirements. The up-to-standard partitions cover 519.45 square kilometers, accounting for 27.2% of the built-up area. According to the self-assessment result, the short-term goal of “20% of built-up area meets the sponge city construction requirements in 2020” was achieved. While transforming itself into a sponge city, Changsha has built a comprehensive rainwater utilization system and completed China's first rainwater resource use right transaction at the end of 2020.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn