Amid a global crisis where more than 3 billion people live under water stress and projections indicate a 40% increase in water demand by 2030, water security has become one of the cornerstones of planetary stability. Jiangsu, one of China’s most industrially dynamic provinces, faces the challenge of balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability in a context of progressive water stress, surface water pollution, and aquifer depletion. In response to this challenge, Phase II of the Zhangshan Water Plant emerges as a visionary intervention that not only increases production capacity to 50,000 m³ per day but also redefines how drinking water is managed and distributed on a regional scale. This project ensures a safe water supply for more than 400,000 residents, equivalent to the annual consumption of a mid-sized city, through high-efficiency processes, comprehensive digital control, and advanced purification technologies that exceed GB5749-2022 standards.
Its strategic objective is to transform water infrastructure into a driver of social and climate resilience, ensuring that every liter distributed is traceable, safe, and sustainable. Located in the Hubin District of Suqian City, the plant consolidates a new model of water governance that balances urban and rural development under criteria of energy efficiency, digitalization, and reduction of non-revenue water. Its rationale lies in the urgency of replacing vulnerable sources with safe surface water supplies, reducing pressure on local aquifers, and strengthening the water security of the Huaihe River system.
The ecosystem of actors making this transformation possible includes Jiangsu Suqian Xinyuan Water Affairs as the main developer and operator, local authorities as technical supervision entities, technology providers specialized in membranes and automated control, and independent verification institutions responsible for auditing benefit traceability. Under the EPC model (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction), a coordinated value chain maximizes efficiency in design, cost, and execution time.
The project aligns with the Water Positive by strictly complying with the principles of additionality, by generating new and measurable volumes of safe water, traceability, through digital monitoring and auditable reporting, and intentionality, by being designed to produce real benefits for the basin and surrounding communities. Through the VWBA 2.0 framework, every cubic meter of treated water represents a tangible volumetric benefit that helps restore hydrological balance and improves the climate resilience of the Huaihe River Basin.
Urban growth and accelerated industrialization in Suqian have created an increasing gap between water demand and the availability of quality water. Surface bodies show signs of contamination from discharges and industrial runoff, while aquifers exhibit sustained decline due to overexploitation. In this context, Phase II of the Zhangshan Water Plant represents a comprehensive and strategic solution: a facility that combines technological innovation with smart management to transform the region’s water security. Located in the Hubin District, this purification plant employs coagulation, sedimentation, advanced filtration, ozonation, and ultrafiltration membranes, achieving a daily yield of 50,000 m³ of safe water, equivalent to the supply for more than 400,000 people.
The benefits are immediate and tangible: reduction of network losses, regeneration of surface sources, reduction of emissions derived from pumping, and substitution of high-impact chemical inputs. In addition, its intelligent operation through the SCADA system optimizes energy consumption and enables real-time traceability of water quality.
This project is made possible by the articulation between Jiangsu Suqian Xinyuan Water Affairs as the main developer and operator, local authorities as regulatory compliance guarantors, and technological partners specialized in automation and process control. Its EPC model guarantees efficient execution, with comprehensive control of costs, quality, and schedule.
The approach adopted turns the plant into a replicable reference for other Chinese provinces facing similar challenges of overexploitation and source degradation. Its implementation demonstrates that acting now is crucial: each day of delay implies greater environmental, social, and economic costs. Companies with advanced ESG objectives, particularly in the industrial, energy, and urban sectors, can lead this type of solution, obtaining regulatory compliance, competitive differentiation, and reputational positioning as catalysts of the new water economy.
Implementation of Phase II of the Zhangshan Plant follows a technically structured sequence of stages. The first stage corresponds to detailed engineering and diagnostics, during which hydrological conditions of the Huaihe Basin, physicochemical characteristics of raw water, and risks of climate variability were evaluated. From this analysis, the optimal treatment train was defined, composed of pretreatment, coagulation, sedimentation, V-type filtration, ozonation with activated carbon, UV disinfection, and ultrafiltration membranes, a hybrid combination that integrates gray and digital technologies to ensure high efficiency, low energy consumption, and operational stability.
During the second stage of construction and commissioning, an EPC model was applied with full control of quality, costs, and schedule, integrating a continuous monitoring SCADA system that allows real-time visualization of critical parameters such as turbidity, pH, residual chlorine, and energy efficiency. The process achieves a nominal capacity of 50,000 m³/day, with hydraulic redundancies ensuring service continuity even in the event of technological failures or variations in raw water quality. Operation includes backup power systems, dual pumping lines, and a preventive data-driven maintenance protocol.
Among the identified operational and environmental risks are hydrological variability, potential saline intrusion, failure of critical equipment, and social acceptance of new tariffs. To mitigate these risks, contingency plans have been designed with alternative capture sources, intermediate storage, online safety alarms, and community communication programs to ensure transparency and acceptance. Additionally, shared governance between the operator, water authorities, and the community ensures coordinated response capacity in the face of contingencies.
From a strategic perspective, this solution resolves local system vulnerability by replacing groundwater use with highly efficient treated surface water, reducing non-revenue water losses, and improving supply quality. This technology was chosen over conventional alternatives for its higher performance, lower chemical consumption, and compatibility with digital automation. Selection criteria included efficiency (>98% turbidity removal), regulatory compliance, regional replicability, and alignment with the national water security policy.
Expected benefits are multiple and quantifiable: annual production of more than 18 million m³ of safe water, a 15% reduction in energy consumption per treated m³, and a 30% improvement in water quality compared to the previous average. Environmentally, the project reduces indirect CO₂ emissions from lower pumping and source regeneration, improves local biodiversity, and decreases health risks. Socially, it strengthens public health, generates technical employment, and reinforces citizen trust in supply systems. Economically, it reduces operating costs, improves network efficiency, and positions the company at the forefront of ESG compliance and Water Positive certification.
To ensure long-term resilience to climate change, the system incorporates climate monitoring protocols, predictive hydrological modeling, and adaptive maintenance. Emergency plans cover drought, accidental contamination, or critical supply failures, with procedures validated by local authorities. This technical and governance model can be replicated in other Chinese provinces with water stress contexts, thanks to its technological flexibility, modular structure, and favorable cost-benefit ratio. Public-private cooperation, technological support from specialized companies, and institutional commitment ensure its scalability as a comprehensive regional water resilience solution.
Project implementation follows a phased intervention scheme, articulated in stages that ensure technical accuracy and complete traceability. The first phase, diagnostics and design, included hydrological studies, raw water characterization, and definition of quality and quantity baselines. This process encompassed modeling of water supply and demand, network loss analysis, and energy assessment, establishing reference values to measure future efficiency and resilience improvements.
The second phase, engineering and construction, implemented the EPC model with integrated planning to ensure coordination between design, procurement, and civil works. During this stage, main equipment was installed: coagulation, sedimentation, V-type filtration, ozonation, activated carbon, UV disinfection, and ultrafiltration membranes. These hybrid processes were chosen after evaluating conventional filtration and nanofiltration alternatives, prioritizing the highest-performing, lowest-energy solution. The system has a nominal capacity of 50,000 m³/day and a hydraulic performance above 98%, validated through load tests and field calibration.
The third phase, commissioning and technical validation, included integration of monitoring instrumentation: electromagnetic flow meters, multiparameter probes for pH, turbidity, and residual chlorine, IoT pressure and energy sensors, and local meteorological stations to correlate climatic variables. Measurement is performed in real time with continuous recording in the SCADA platform and weekly reports from accredited laboratories. Control KPIs include treatment efficiency, quality parameter stability, energy consumption per treated m³, and percentage of non-revenue water.
Physical traceability control is ensured through a hydraulic sectorization system that allows water flow tracking from intake to distribution points. In parallel, digital traceability is implemented via an IoT platform that integrates real-time data, automatic alarms for quality or flow deviations, and verifiable periodic reports. In case of anomalies, the system activates contingency protocols and generates automatic reports for review by the operator and water authority. External validation will be conducted through annual audits and independent verifiers under VWBA/WQBA guidelines.
The project’s operational governance is structured in a collaborative model: Jiangsu Suqian Xinyuan Water Affairs leads technical operation, while local authorities oversee regulatory compliance and data verification. Beneficiaries, urban and rural populations connected to the network, participate through communication and feedback mechanisms. Preventive maintenance protocols are established quarterly and corrective semiannually, along with continuous training for technical staff and local operators.
Monitoring and continuous improvement are ensured through an integrated system based on VWBA 2.0 and WQBA frameworks. With vs. without project scenarios are compared to quantify net benefits: regenerated water, reduced losses, removed contaminants, and optimized energy. Data feedback enables adjustment of operating parameters, optimization of dosing, and control software updates based on performance. Thanks to this adaptive structure, benefits persist over the long term, consolidating impact permanence and system resilience against climatic variability and future demand.
Phase II of the Zhangshan Plant is an integrated water supply and purification intervention that expands treatment capacity to 50,000 m³ per day, strengthening water security for Suqian and its metropolitan area. Technically, the intervention focuses on producing potable water through advanced processes of coagulation, sedimentation, V-type filtration, ozonation, activated carbon, and ultrafiltration membranes, supported by a SCADA system that monitors flow, pressure, turbidity, and chemical parameters in real time. The system operates under national standards GB5749-2022 and complies with WHO guidelines and Chinese environmental regulations, aligned with ISO 9001 and 14001 practices.
Its relevance lies in directly addressing the structural deficit of safe water in the Huaihe Basin, where urban and industrial growth exert pressure on aquifers and reduce surface source quality. Before the project, the city depended on overexploited wells and outdated networks with high losses. After implementation, the system becomes a modern and resilient network, capable of reducing groundwater extraction, improving hydraulic efficiency, and providing continuous supply to more than 400,000 users. This solution fits the local context due to its ability to adapt to climatic variations, low energy consumption, and compatibility with national water security and ecological transition goals.
Concrete results include annual production exceeding 18 million m³ of drinking water, a 30% improvement in water quality compared to baseline, and a 15% reduction in energy consumption per cubic meter treated. The system helps reduce indirect CO₂ emissions, regenerate aquatic biodiversity, and improve public health by reducing waterborne diseases. Strategically, the project strengthens the company’s Water Positive roadmap and commitment to ESG and VWBA 2.0 frameworks by generating traceable, measurable water benefits. It offers reputational and competitive advantages by positioning the company as a pioneer in resilient and sustainable water solutions, aligned with international commitments such as SBTi, NPWI, and ESRS E3.
The model is fully replicable in other Chinese and Asian basins facing water stress challenges, particularly those with high urban and industrial density. Its scalability is based on modular design, automation, and integration of hybrid processes. Collaboration with local authorities, technological partners, and regional operators facilitates its expansion and adaptation to different contexts. In the basin’s water balance, the plant reduces aquifer pressure, enhances drought resilience, and increases the availability of treated surface water. Socially, it generates technical employment, improves access to safe water, and reinforces public trust in water management. This project sends a clear message to investors and society: sustainable water infrastructure is not only an environmental investment but also a driver of stability, innovation, and prosperity within the regenerative economy.
