CEE professor Glen Daigger continues the department’s focus on engineers in service to society through his review of the evolution of wastewater management in China.
Daigger has co-authored the article, “Emerging Trends and Prospects for Municipal Wastewater Management in China.” His journal review will be published in the March issue of ACS ES&T Engineering and complements the goals of CEE’s strategic direction of shared resource flows. This emphasizes the need for engineers to help provide a more sustainable future.
The journal review represents a collaborative effort by the authors and is a voluntary effort among U.S. and Chinese colleagues to increase the broader community’s awareness of some notable wastewater management activities in China.
The article’s abstract notes the way “wastewater management in China is progressing from the implementation of basic treatment, to the adoption and development of new technologies, and to the implementation of integrated solutions intended to achieve a broader range of outcomes including improved water quality, resource recovery, and increased livability. The results already being achieved, and to be anticipated in the future, will be of broad interest because of the magnitude of Chinese wastewater treatment, which allows a broad range of options to be evaluated.”
Daigger and his co-authors highlighted the development of four principal biosolids management strategies that are now being implemented in China. The abstract adds: “Building on the progress made addressing wastewater treatment needs in urban areas, attention is turning to rural areas where nearly 500 million people live.” Integrated water management and resource recovery are happening in China through The Concept Wastewater Treatment program and Sponge Cites. The ultimate goals of the programs are improved water quality, resource recovery, and increased livability for urban, as well as rural, populations.
By seeking novel ways to capture and manage water resources, engineers are developing ways to combat water scarcity and improve water security and quality. These advances have global implications for the potential to improve water equity and access in the future.
