Water pollution and control measures in Province by Che Xianxin and Bai Yongjiu As part of an urban renewal study, control deficient water resources have ob- structed the development of indus- measures are to be proposed for the Hunhe-Taizi try and agriculture, and impaired river basin of Liaoning Province in . residents' health, especially in some rapidly developing metropolitan ar- eas like , , , WITH HER more than one billion central areas, to less than 200mm and . people, almost one quarter of the in the north-west. China ranks world's total population, China is amongst the lowest nations in a the world's most populous country; table of surface water resources per Liaoning Province but her social and economic devel- person: the USSR has 18 900m3 per Liaoning is a coastal province in opment is uneven for historical person, Japan 4796m3 per person, north-eastern China with a total reasons. China's population density and China has 2700m3. Liaoning population of 36.29 million people is higher than the USA and it has Province has only 987m3. living in an area of 145700 square more than twenty cities with a Of the 800 million rural people kilometres (see map). With a den- population exceeding a million, in in China only 300 million have sity of 249 persons per square contrast to the USA where there are access to a safe water supply, of kilometre it is amongst the most only six cities of this size. The urban which 15 per cent is piped. The heavily urbanized provinces. Of the population varies from about six per other 500 million people have in- 22 cities with populations greater cent of the total in the remote adequate or poor drinking-water than one million, four are located provinces to more than 67 per cent supplies: 45 million are supplied in Liaoning Province. in others. The density of population with water containing excess fluo- Liaoning's industrial base was varies from less than two people per rides, 60 million depend on brackish developed in the early twentieth square kilometre in Tibet to more water, 150 million draw polluted century and its main component is than 1900 in Shanghai. Ninety per surface water that is not adequately heavy industry. There is a steel cent of the total population live on treated, and 50 million do not have works in and a coal mine only 17 per cent of the land. adequate sources of water. in . It also ranks first among Because of the high density of the Chinese pro\"inccs in power genera- population, the uneven economic tion, iron ore reserves and iron and Water resources development and the poor water steel production. Much of the urban Annual precipitation ranges from supply, water-borne infectious dis- environment in Liaoning Province's more than 1600mm in the southern eases such as dysentery and hepati- industrialized cities is marked by coastal areas, through 600mm in the tis are common in China. The severe pollution of the air, earth

.,

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KEV MAP

SU'" kmO 10 20 30 40 -50km

The Hunhe- basin (HTRB) in Liaoning Province.

WATERLINES VOL.lO NO.1 JULY 1991 21 improper control measures. Annual water resources, at 987 cubic metres per person, are much lower than the national standard.

Health impact The Hunhe-Taizi river basin, run- ning south-west through the heart- land of the province, is the focus of water resources concerns because of its urban, industrial and agricul- tural pre-eminence. Located in or near it are some of China's largest heavy industries: the major sources of coal and iron ore and the eco- nomically important cities of An- shan, , Fushun, Liaoyang, Shenyang and . The cities have a combined population of 9.7 million and account for 58 per cent of Liaoning's industrial output. Most of the liquid wastes generated in the province are discharged with- out treatment into the river system through industrial outlets, com- bined sewers, or irrigation. The surface water cannot meet the ur- Waste water is diluted in a plant like this one in a suburb of Fushun City, ban water demand which increased ten times between 1949 and 1985. and is then used for irrigation. The greater part of these wastes, and water. Surface waters con- winter with little snow, and a short containing toxic and hazardous pol- taminated by industrial wastes pol- windy spring. There are only 130 lutants such as oil, phenol, cyanide lute the groundwater that is a source to 180 frost-free days a year. The and benzopyrene, enter the Hunhe of drinking-water. Crops irrigated average annual precipitation is 400 and Taizi river basin. Most of these with industrial waste water (because to 1000mm, decreasing markedly wastes reappear in the supply of of water scarcity) are contaminated from south-east to north-west. Al- downstream users. The death rate by toxins, and are inedible. though there are plenty of rivers from malignant tumours of the Liaoning Province has a temper- and reservoirs, water resources are residents drinking this polluted ate continental monsoon climate still deficient because of the uneven water for a long period is 111 per with a hot rainy summer, a long cold precipitation, high evaporation, and 100 000, a 52 per cent higher inci-

There are plenty of reservoirs, but improper control of measures mean they are often contaminated - sometimes by being used as a swimming pool!

22 WATERLINES VOL. 10 NO.1 JULY 1991 The disposal of domestic rubbish must be monitored to ensure that groundwater is not polluted as a result. dence rate than the 72 per 100 000 o To decide on technically and cation among users, will be required in areas with safe water. financially feasible water quality to maintain an adequate waste The river water is also heavily goals (river, estuary, and ma- assimilation capacity in the river polluted by domestic wastes that rine) to be attained step by step system. contain 4650 E.coli per litre, 150 over a planned period of time. The Environmental Protection million bacteria per litre, and a o To propose at strategy level Bureau of Liaoning Province has chlorine concentration of 500- non-physical actions and finan- prime responsibility for controlling 1375mg per litre. The incidence of cial investment for works that are liquid wastes to rivers and irrigation dysentery, typhoid fever, paraty- required best to meet the com- areas. National standards for licens- phoid, and viral hepatitis is high peting interests of the water users ing discharges were issued in 1973 amongst residents drinking polluted and the disposal of liquid waste and new national laws were issued river water. to the environment. in 1983. The system acts as a Farmland is irrigated with the o To propose an action-orientated pollution 'tax', and industries have untreated wastewater from refinery programme for the orderly devel- the option of either investing in plants which contains oil, phenol opment of water resources and treatment facilities or paying the and benzopyrene. The death rate the return of used water to the tax. from stomach cancer is nearly four environment. The programme times that in similar but uncontami- should address all major issues nated districts. Congenital malfor- including: The way ahead mation is two to three times higher - industrial waste discharge policy; This paper has focused on Liaon- than in other districts. Fluoride - institutional reform; ing's growth prospects and the re- content in some groundwater is over - regulatory, pricing, and policy sulting need for water supply and 16mg per litre, affecting nearly half Issues; drainage. Liaoning's industry will a million people. - water resource development and be a key element in China's mod- allocation; ernization and export drive. Eco- - a programme of physical works nomic and urban population growth Control measures and non-physical action including is expected to exceed the national With the Chinese government's ap- measures to improve the effi- average and will occur in the central proval an Australian-funded Urban ciency of use by industry and area of the province. We will have Renewal Study is now being carried agriculture, the pre-treatment of to catch up in the provision of urban out in Liaoning Province. The goal industrial waste, the establish- services, especially water supply. of the water issues being studied ment of municipal wastewater Recognizing the need for sizeable arc: treatment plants, the augmenta- investments the National Govern- o To prepare a strategy for the tion of water resources, the reuse ment has agreed to more equitable development, allocation, use and of treated wastewater to aug- cost-sharing arrangements than in management of the water re- ment low seasonal river flows, the past. Liaoning and its munici- sources of the central area of and the achievement of water palities will in future better mobilize Liaoning Province (catchment of quality goals; financial resources through taxa- Hunhe and Taizi); the treatment - the identification of significant tion, borrowing and increased reli- of industrial and municipal used projects that are essential for the ance on user fees .• water, and its return to the overall strategy so that they can environment. The strategy must proceed to independent feasi- Che Xianxin and Bai Yongjiu arc both at seek to resolve existing or poten- bility studies. #2 Street, Shenyang Urban and Rural Construction Department, Liaoning, tial conflicts between water use Additional reservoirs and, possi- China. Adapted from a paper presented at (agriculture, domestic, and in- bly, water transfer schemes, com- the Fourteenth WEDC Conference on Warer dustrial) and an improved water bined with improvements in the and urban services in Asia and the Pacific quality environment. efficiency of water use and a reallo- held in Kuala Lumpur, April 1989.

WATERLINES VOL.lO NO.1 JULY 1991 23