China’s Beijing issues regulations on water conservation

On Nov. 25, 2022, the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People’s Congress issued Municipal Regulations on Water Conservation, which will come into effect March 1, 2023. These regulations set out requirements for water conservation in industry, including increased water recycling rates. The regulations also include progressive charge to companies for extra water use over prescribed amounts, as well as requiring companies located within areas with recycled-water pipe networks to use recycled water.

Requirements for water conservation in industry

The recycling rate of industrial water need to be increased by using advanced technologies, processes, equipment and products as well as circulating the same water more times. Water recycling rates must meet the mandatory standard. If they don’t, technical upgrading needs to be done immediately to satisfy the standard.

Tiered billing system

Stepwise pricing is applied to household water use, progressive charge is applied to water use by companies and other organizations, and special pricing is applied to water use by companies using water for special purposes, such as car washers and purified water producers. In the progressive charge system, special charges are imposed on extra water use over planned amounts according to specified equations.

Requirement of using recycled water

Companies located within areas with recycled-water pipe networks must use recycled water for cooling water, washing water, processing water and other industrial water.

The municipal regulations of Beijing (in Chinese) are available at
http://www.bjrd.gov.cn/rdzl/dfxfgk/dfxfg/202211/t20221128_2867581.html