Towards the formulation of rural sewage discharge standards in China

In China, most rural areas lack specific sewage discharge standards. Even though China governments proposed a series of local standards, the most of the existing China's rural sewage discharge standards are still similar to urban discharge standards. This research analyses comprehensively the data of rural sewage discharge standards in the 31 provinces and cities in China in terms of grade and indicator, and forms a structural framework for the formulation and revised standards in rural areas of China. In the formulation, we use 2 components, end-use and environmental capacity, to reflect local characteristics of the grades and indicators, and also propose the methods of combining discharge standards with relevant water quality standards to save energy. And we also use the mathematical model to illustrate environmental capacity in different regions. The paper shows the great potential in guiding the design of discharge standards formulation and revision for rural wastewater treatment in China and other developing countries as well.