The CPC Central Committee Places a High Value on the Protection of the Erhai Lake: A Delegation Led by Han Zheng, Vice Premier of the State Council, Paid a Visit to CWEG’s Dali Shuanglang Underground WWTP

     According to Han, the CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to the protection of the Erhai Lake, and General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions in this regard repeatedly, saying that “We must protect the Erhai Lake”.
     Despite phased achievement having been made in curbing the deterioration of water quality of the Erhai Lake, the protection and management of Erhai Lake still has a long way to go. “To this end, first, we should study and implement President Xi’s thought of ecological civilization, and act urgently and arduously, fully realizing that the protection and management of Erhai Lake is a long-term, complicated and challenging task that requires patience and persistence; second, a long-term development plan aligned with the actual situation has to be formulated and implemented to allow for scientific and systematic management and high-level monitoring of the Erhai Lake, especially of the core sections; third, the focus should be put on wastewater interception and treatment, promoting wastewater recycling across the whole river watershed, strengthening wastewater treatment and sewer pipe maintenance, and continuously reducing the pollution load to the lake; fourth, the non-point source pollution must be controlled in an intensive way, and the industrial restructuring and upgrading of the planting and breeding sectors should also be accelerated; last but not the least, Party members and cadres should serve as a good role model, carry out mass work in a sound manner, put the River Chief Mechanism into practice at all levels, combat various challenges, and unswervingly win the battle of Erhai Lake protection and management,” said Han.  


 　　As a professional water environment management platform under State Development & Investment Corp., Ltd. (SDIC), CWEG (China Water Environment Group) is responsible stewards for a portfolio of national demonstration projects in 19 provinces and cities across China, and is equipped with the high-standard patented underground WWTP system which boasts the top 1 underground treatment capacity in Asia and the world. The Dali Erhai Lake wastewater Interception PPP Demonstration Project (Phase I), which involves the construction of 6 underground WWTPs and 231 km of trunk sewers (channels), etc., once completed, will completely  prevent the Erhai Lake from pollution caused by the discharge of industrial and domestic wastewater. The wastewater is treated at a nearby WWTP and tail water will go to the wetland for purification, to support urban landscaping and agricultural irrigation, enabling effective protection of the Erhai Lake and continued improvement of water quality. According to a source, the project actually saved c. RMB 600 million or 17.2% of investment, symbolizing a water pollution prevention and control battle focused on the protection and management of Erhai Lake, and earning the praise of the General Office of the State Council in late December, 2018. The project was also listed as one of the 130 typical practices discovered during the State Council’s fifth inspection.