Two - Sessions Time | People''s Daily Online: Beijing''s Sub - Center Writes a Green Answer to the Realization of Ecological Product Value with “Ecological Living Water”

With spring returning to the land and all things coming back to life, Beijing, the capital, continues to strengthen ecological environment protection. The spring river ecological water - replenishment work in Tongzhou District for 2025 has been fully launched.

Under the dual challenges of water resource shortage and ecological restoration, through the construction of reclaimed water plants and resource recycling, Beijing's sub - center takes “ecological living water” as the path to help build a green city model of “water - city integration.”

“Turning pollution control into gold,” Beijing's Bishui Reclaimed Water Plant innovatively unlocks the code of water ecological value.

Located at the northern end of the Grand Canal, Beijing's sub - center is rich in rivers and water. However, due to its location at the “end of nine rivers,” it once became a gathering place for sewage. As the largest reclaimed water plant in Beijing's sub - center, the Bishui Reclaimed Water Plant operates at a high speed with a daily treatment capacity of 180,000 tons. It undertakes 80% of the domestic sewage treatment tasks in the developed area of the sub - center, serves nearly 700,000 people, and continuously supplies the city with high - quality reclaimed water.

The original Bishui project, upgraded in 2015, innovatively adopted the distributed and sunken reclaimed water ecosystem with independent intellectual property rights of China Water Environment Group. It comprehensively replaced foreign technologies with original ones. It became the first sunken reclaimed water plant in China that expanded and upgraded without stopping, and also became the reclaimed water plant with the most sunken technologies in China.

The project saves two - thirds of the land, and the daily sewage treatment volume is nearly doubled compared with the original. All sewage treatment facilities are placed underground, and a 70,000 - square - meter water system landscape park is built on the ground. Nearly 50 kinds of flowers and plants are planted to form an ecological complex of “pollution control underground and greening above ground.” It reduces carbon emissions by 7,000 tons per year.

With the arrival of clear water, it should be used wisely and well. The high - quality reclaimed water after treatment is 100% reused. It is a stable water - supply source for the City Green Heart Forest Park, Universal Studios, Yudai River, municipal greening, road watering, as well as the administrative office area of the sub - center and the Sanhe Power Plant in Hebei. It saves 65 million tons of tap water for Beijing every year.

Empowered by core projects, three major reclaimed water plants build a new pattern of water treatment.

The first phase of the Hedong Resource Recycling Center of China Water Environment Group, located by the Grand Canal, was completed and put into use in 2023. The project is planned to serve a population of about 210,000 people, with an additional sewage treatment (reclaimed water) capacity of 82,000 cubic meters per day. It realizes the full coverage of centralized sewage treatment facilities at the township level. As a “reclaimed water plant + sludge treatment + energy recovery” three - in - one project, it is a full - chain resource regeneration demonstration in Beijing's sub - center.

As an ecological link of urban - rural integration, the Zhangjiawan Reclaimed Water Plant serves the expansion area of Beijing's sub - center, Universal Resort, and Zhangjiawan Design Town, with a daily treatment capacity of 40,000 tons. It is an important node in the water environment management of the North Canal River Basin. The project is deeply integrated into the protection plan of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt. The reclaimed water is used for river ecological water - replenishment, riverside landscape greening, and cultural heritage protection.

The three major reclaimed water plants of Bishui, Zhangjiawan, and Hedong undertake 90% of the sewage treatment tasks in Beijing's sub - center, with an annual sewage treatment of about 110 million tons and a 100% reuse rate of reclaimed water. Hou Feng, chairman of China Water Environment Group, believes that reclaimed water is not only a resource - oriented product of urban public services but also reduces the financial pressure of environmental governance. It helps to push the city onto a green, low - carbon, and sustainable development path.

Re - shaping “water - city integration,” and helping to build a national - level demonstration.

With lush aquatic plants and wild ducks playing, more and more rivers in Beijing's sub - center are connected to the upstream water system, providing a beautiful and pleasant riverside space for the city.

According to the “14th Five - Year Plan for Water Conservancy Development and Water System Construction in Beijing's Sub - center (Tongzhou District),” by 2025, the sub - center will basically build a modern water - conservancy service guarantee system that is in line with its strategic positioning and the development goal of an internationally first - class harmonious and livable modern urban area. It will reshape the city with water and create an ecological city of water - city integration.

At present, the utilization rate of reclaimed water in Tongzhou District has reached more than 70%, providing a “second water source” for the city's operation. In 2024, the total amount of ecological water - replenishment in the district was as high as 115.6001 million cubic meters, and the length of rivers with water increased by more than 280 kilometers. Compared with 2023, the groundwater level in the water - replenishment area rose by 1.46 meters. The area of over - exploited groundwater in the district has been greatly reduced, and all serious over - exploited areas have been eliminated. The water ecological environment has been significantly improved.