Breakthrough in Key Core Technologies Research and Engineering Application of Submerged Urban Reclaimed Water Plants in China

Recently, the public announcement of the "2022 Environmental Technology Progress Award" by the China Environmental Protection Industry Association ended. The "Key Core Technology Research and Engineering Application of Submerged Urban Reclaimed Water Plants" led by China Water Environment Group was successfully selected as the first prize for environmental technology progress in 2022, achieving two "firsts" - the first time since the establishment of the award that an enterprise has led the way to win the first prize in the field of water pollution prevention and control, and the first time that a sunken plant technology achievement has won the award.

The Environmental Technology Progress Award is established nationwide in accordance with the "Regulations on National Science and Technology Awards". The first prize is awarded to projects that have made significant innovations in environmental science and technology, are technically difficult, have reached an advanced level in overall technical level and indicators, have been widely applied, achieved significant environmental benefits, and have significant significance and role in promoting economic development and social progress.

The award-winning project is led by Water Environment Group, and jointly completed by Beijing University of Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Architecture and Construction, Ecological Environment Research Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan Science City Tianren Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. and Xiyuan Environmental Protection (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The project application team was the first in China to carry out technical research and engineering practice on sunken urban reclaimed water plants, undertaking the only sunken plant project of the "13th Five Year Plan" national water special project, and issuing the first national standard for sunken plants in China.

The project aims to achieve the overall goals of land intensification, environmental friendliness, precise regulation, and resource reuse. It has carried out systematic innovation in four aspects: water, gas, control, and utilization. The sewage treatment plant has been scientifically collected and treated as the stable "second water source" of the city, transforming from above ground to underground and centralized to distributed, completely solving the problem of neighborhood avoidance, achieving efficient utilization of water resources, land resources, and green energy, and paving the way for innovative sewage treatment.

The project has been granted 167 authorized patents, including 35 papers and the world's first monograph on underground reclaimed water plants; Selected into the National Advanced Pollution Prevention and Control Technology Catalogue, it is one of the eight national infrastructure green upgrading technologies selected by five ministries including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It participated in the National "Thirteenth Five Year Plan" Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Exhibition, and its overall technical level is internationally leading.

At present, the achievements of this project have been promoted to 22 provinces across the country, with the largest number of sunken plants in China, a total scale of over 3 million tons/day, and 15 national demonstration projects covering various application scenarios of water environment governance, promoting the large-scale application of sunken plants in China. China has become the country with the largest scale and largest number of sunken factories in the world.

According to the China Environmental Protection Industry Association, the nominated projects in 2022 still maintain a large industry coverage and high technical level, reflecting the technological innovation strength of China's environmental protection industry. The award-winning projects reflect the technological level of China's environmental protection industry and its contribution to the construction of ecological civilization.