The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the leading environmental agency of the UN, reports that approximately 42% of all household wastewater is not treated properly, damaging ecosystems and human health (source: UN).
At the same time wastewater can generate biogas, heat, and electricity. It can produce about five times more energy than is required for its treatment – enough to provide electricity for around half a billion people per year (source: UNEP, 2023).
AVK develops, manufactures, and markets products specifically designed to handle the substances in wastewater management.
CASE
AVK VALVES HELP PRESERVE THE YANGTZE RIVER
As part of China’s commitment to sustainable development, the Zhujiaqiao Wastewater Treatment Plant was recently upgraded and expanded. It is now equipped with various valves from AVK.
Protecting the country’s lifeline
The significance of the Yangtze River is immense. It is the longest river in Asia and China’s largest water system. In addition, many of China’s largest cities, including Shanghai, Wuhan, and Chongqing, are situated along the river. However, for some time, the ecological environment of the Yangtze River has faced severe challenges such as chemical encirclement and industrial wastewater discharge. And now, the situation is deteriorating.
In response to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s call for “focusing on protection, not excessive development”, various cities along the Yangtze River have shown their commitment to the protection and restoration of the river’s ecological environment.
Pilot city for green development
Wuhu, located on the banks of the Yangtze River, has in recent years made a continuous effort to restore the ecological environment of the Yangtze River.
In July 2018, the Three Gorges Corporation selected Wuhu as one of the first pilot cities for the Yangtze River protection efforts – an action that not only sets the tone for the future development of the city, but also marks a new historical stage in ecological protection and sustainable development in the Yangtze River area.
As the largest wastewater treatment plant in southern Anhui, the Zhujiaqiao Wastewater Treatment Plant undertakes the comprehensive task of treating domestic wastewater from Wuhu and its surrounding area.
To improve efficiency, achieve higher discharge standards, and enhance the regional water ecological environment, the plant has undergone multiple phases of upgrading and expansion. Phases I and II have a total treatment capacity of 220,000 m3 /day, while Phase III added an additional 115,000 m3 /day, bringing the total capacity to 335,000 m3 /day. The long-term design capacity is 450,000 m3 /day.
AVK valves for complex solutions
The project of upgrading the plant involves adding advanced treatment units after the existing secondary treatment process, adopting further advanced and complex techniques in each of the project’s phases.
Amidst the phases, there are several technical processes such as precise control of biological treatment, achieving efficient flocculation and sedimentation, and implementing MBR flat membrane technology.
AVK Valves in Shanghai delivered a variety of valve solutions for the expansion project including gate valves, butterfly valves, check valves, and knife gate valves, ranging from DN50 to DN2000 – in total more than 400 units.
The AVK valves for wastewater treatment with precision control capabilities and corrosion resistance support stable and efficient biological treatment.
Enhanced capacity and environmental benefits
Following the project, the plant has improved its treatment capacity. Now, the treated water lives up to the national Class A discharge standard. This means that the treated wastewater can be safely discharged into the Yangtze River, reducing its negative impact on the ecological environment.
Also, the project has positively influenced the surrounding aquatic environment, especially at the Wuhu Jiangdong Water Ecological Park which now receives 40,000 tons of tailwater daily from the plant. Through ecological purification facilities such as subsurface flow constructed wetlands, the nitrogen and phosphorus contents are reduced, elevating the water quality to meet the Surface Water Quality Standard Class IV.
This cleaned water is then discharged into the surrounding Banshengyan and Baoxingyan water systems. By feeding the cleaned water into the urban river system, a constant source of freshwater is provided, improving the water environment, and achieving water pollution control, ecological restoration, and resource protection.
