AVK collaborates with Zhuyuan Wastewater Treatment Plant in Shanghai to upgrade the capacity of No. 2 Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In Shanghai, urban development strains wastewater management, which is why this project plays an important role in contributing to improve the city’s wastewater management.
Central to the upgrade is the improvement of the overall distribution well, which works as the central hub for the distribution of wastewater in the Zhuyuan treatment plants. This well was built with the aim of diverting and reducing wastewater in the area. After the improvements, the total distribution well can ensure reliable operation in the long term and facilitate integration with the “Ten Billion Project” – Zhuyuan Phase IV project, which, among other things, handles 1.2 million tons of wastewater per day from the treatment plant and 500,000 tonnes per day from storage tanks.
The project includes several upgrades aimed at improving wastewater distribution and management. Among other things, ten weir gates in the overall distribution well have been replaced with adjustable gates supplied by AVK. As a result, the control of the wastewater flow has been improved. The power and control system in the overall distribution well has also been improved to ensure more stable operation and precise adjustments.
When AVK’s hydraulic weir gates are fully installed, the system can control the distribution of the flow, make precise adjustments, and react quickly to changing conditions. In addition, the installation of the hydraulic weir gates contributes to the realisation of a so-called “Sponge City”, a concept designed to absorb and manage water more sustainably in cities. These improvements guarantee stable operation of the wastewater treatment plant, optimise flow control during treatment, and help them meet environmental standards, including improving the water quality of the Yangtze River.
The project has reduced the risk of overflows during both dry and rainy seasons, resulting in increased operational efficiency and greater resilience to flood disasters. In addition, it contributes to the UN’s broader Sustainable Development Goals on sustainable water management in urban
areas.
The Sponge City concept
The concept of “Sponge Cities” was launched by the Chinese government in 2013. The concept presents a way to mitigate the effects of floods in large cities and to recreate the natural water cycle in urban areas. The idea is to optimise the overall water management, from recovery to use.
Extensive urbanisation has led to the formation of thousands of square kilometres of impermeable areas built with concrete and asphalt that do not allow water to be absorbed into the ground but simply collect the rainwater through the urban drainage infrastructure and channel it into rivers, lakes or seas.
Now cities around the world are suffering from the effects of rapid urbanisation, and combined with extreme climate changes, it is resulting in water shortages, water pollution, and flooding.
Sponge Cities presents a way to resolve these problems by designing absorbent green areas and infrastructures that enable water to be absorbed into the subsoil soaking up and retaining water during rain and storms and releasing it slowly.
In this way, the Sponge City is acting like a sponge, absorbing the rainwater, which is naturally filtered by the soil and allowing it to reach into the urban aquifers. The water can then be extracted from the ground through urban or peri-urban wells, and the water can easily be treated and used for the city water supply.
