Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has drafted the "Water Pollutant Discharge Standards for the Chishui River Basin (Draft for Comments)" and the "Water Pollutant Discharge Standards for the Danjiangkou Reservoir and Upstream Basin (Draft for Comments)" to enhance water environment governance and ecological protection in these regions [1]. Group 1: Chishui River Basin Standards - The standards specify discharge control requirements, monitoring requirements, and supervision management for wastewater treatment facilities and industries such as fermentation alcohol and liquor production within the Chishui River Basin [2]. - This is the first release of these standards, which will take effect for new discharge units from January 1, 2026, and for existing units from January 1, 2027. Local governments in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces may implement these standards earlier based on local ecological needs and economic conditions [3][4]. Group 2: Danjiangkou Reservoir Standards - The standards outline discharge control requirements, monitoring requirements, and supervision management for wastewater treatment facilities and industries that discharge heavy metals in the Danjiangkou Reservoir and upstream basin [5]. - Similar to the Chishui River Basin standards, these are also the first release, with new discharge units required to comply from January 1, 2026, and existing units from January 1, 2027. Local governments in Henan, Hubei, and Shaanxi provinces can also implement these standards earlier based on local ecological needs and economic conditions [6][7].

Core Points - The new national standards aim to enhance water environment governance and ecological protection in the Chishui River and Danjiangkou Reservoir basins, improving the systematic and scientific management of these areas [1][5] Group 1: Chishui River Basin - The Chishui River is a significant tributary of the Yangtze River, known for its unique fish species and as a core area for high-quality liquor production, making its ecological protection crucial [1] - The current water pollutant discharge standards in the Chishui River basin lack specificity and applicability, necessitating the development of tailored standards to address urgent ecological quality improvement needs [2][4] - The proposed discharge standards categorize the river basin into strengthened protection areas, key control areas, and general control areas, with varying discharge limits based on ecological protection needs [3][4] Group 2: Danjiangkou Reservoir Basin - The Danjiangkou Reservoir serves as a water source for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, maintaining good water quality but facing challenges with elevated nitrogen levels and unstable water quality in some rivers [5] - The proposed standards aim to improve the ecological environment quality and mitigate risks by establishing control measures for discharge sources and pollutants throughout the basin [5][6] - The standards for heavy metal discharges will have unified limits without gradation, reflecting the need for stringent control to ensure water quality safety [6]

Core Points - The article highlights the need for new pollution discharge standards for wastewater treatment facilities in industrial parks to mitigate environmental risks and protect aquatic ecosystems and public health [1][4][5] - The Ministry of Ecology and Environment is currently soliciting public opinions on the draft technical guidelines for establishing these new discharge standards [1][4] Group 1: Current Situation - There are currently 2,962 industrial parks across 31 provinces and regions in China, with nearly 600 being chemical parks [2] - Industrial parks typically handle wastewater from various sources, including production wastewater from enterprises, domestic sewage, and wastewater from port operations [2][4] - The wastewater characteristics vary significantly among different types of industrial parks, such as single-industry parks and comprehensive parks [2][4] Group 2: Issues Identified - Existing discharge standards for industrial parks are often inadequate, with incomplete pollution control projects leading to high environmental risk [1][4] - The wastewater quality from industrial parks differs significantly from municipal sewage, necessitating tailored discharge standards [1][4][6] Group 3: Proposed Regulations - The draft guidelines propose comprehensive pollution control measures, considering various pollutants and their characteristics based on incoming water quality [4][5] - The new standards will allow for differentiated discharge limits based on the environmental quality requirements of receiving water bodies [5][6] - The regulations aim to ease the burden on enterprises by allowing negotiated indirect discharge limits, reducing the need for additional wastewater treatment facilities [5][6]