China, People's Republic of : Nanjing Qinhuai River Environmental Improvement Project

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban flood protection - Urban policy, institutional and capacity development - Urban sewerage

The Project will help Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province, in (i) reducing water pollution; (ii) protecting water resources; (iii) reducing economic losses and disruption

to livelihoods from frequent localized flooding; (iv) promoting sustainable economic development; (v) improving the environment, living conditions, and public health standards; (vi) developing an integrated wastewater and sludge management system; and (vii) improving service efficiency through increased competition and private sector participation.

The Project includes 10 major activities grouped into six components: (i) Inner Qinhuai River sewerage and water replenishment, (ii) City East wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and sewerage system, (iii) North HeXi District sewerage, river improvement, and water replenishment, (iv) stormwater drainage, (v) sludge treatment and disposal component, and

(vi) institutional development. All components of the Project contribute to significantly improving water quality of the Qinhuai River, which empties into the Yangtze River. The Project supports the Government's 11th Five-Year Plan, which includes goals of improving living conditions and health in cities and promoting their sustainable economic development.

Nanjing comprises 11 districts and two counties and is strategically located at the confluence of the Qinhuai and Changjiang rivers or Yangtze River basin (YRB), in eastern PRC. Nanjing municipality has a population of 6.4 million, and an urban center population of 4.5 million. Rapid economic growth in Nanjing over the past 20 years has placed increased

pressure on the environment and city infrastructure. The Qinhuai River is 110 kilometers (km) long and flows through the urban districts of Nanjing before joining the YRB. Water quality in the lower 34 km of the Qinhuai River has deteriorated significantly in the past 10 years mainly due to wastewater discharge from the city; it currently fails to achieve class V of the PRC water quality standards.

The lack of sufficient wastewater collection and treatment facilities and the increasingly severe problems related to water pollution and urban drainage have resulted in serious water quality problems in the Qinhuai River. This has resulted in significant deterioration of water quality in the Nanjing section of the YRB. NMG is implementing the city's strategic

wastewater master plan to meet national environmental targets and achieve a wastewater treatment rate of 85% by 2010. The proposed Project is an integrated part of the basin-wide Yangtze water resources management initiative, the Nanjing city urban development plan, the Nanjing municipal wastewater master plan, and the Nanjing stormwater drainage master plan. The Project will provide the 10% additional capacity critical to achieving the city's target for 2010 of treating 85% of the wastewater generated compared with the current rate of 75%.

The high intensity of rainfall in Nanjing places the urban drainage system under stress; sewers overflow and become major sources of water pollution. Flooding in urban areas is often serious because of the inadequately maintained drainage network and pumping stations with insufficient capacity. Nanjing does not have a consistent sludge treatment and disposal scheme. Historically, the Qinhuai River's tributaries were interconnected with sufficient flow capacity, but siltation has greatly reduced flows from these waterways. At some locations flow is completely blocked, aggravating flooding and water pollution. Augmentation of river flow, and improved flood control and water quality are urgently needed

through (i) river dredging, (ii) river bank stabilization and erosion control, (iii) river water diversion and replenishment, and (iv) restoration of the degraded urban wetland area. By significantly improving the water quality in the Qinhuai River from the current class V to class IV by 2011, the Project will complement the Wuhan Wastewater Management Project,

Wuhan Wastewater and Stormwater Management Project, and Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project, which all contribute to reducing pollution in the YRB. Since the drinking water intakes of Nanjing and other major cities downstream are from the Yangtze River, the Project will also contribute to protecting the drinking water source.

1. Improved sewerage and water replenishment in the Inner Qinhuai River in urban areas of Nanjing

2. Improved and expanded wastewater services in East City urban area of Nanjing

3. Improved sewerage, river improvement and water replenishment in the North He Xi District, in urban Nanjing

4. Reduced flooding in the storm water drainage areas of the districts of Baixia, Gulou, Qinhuai, Xiaguan, and Xuanwu in urban Nanjing

5. Comprehensive improvement in sludge treatment and disposal.

6. Institutional capacity building for project management

Completed.

Completed.

Completed.

Completed.

18 km of river widening completed

WWTP commercial operation started in Nov 2010; 200,000 m3/day treatment capacity achieved

33 ha wetland park completed

9.8 km of South River completed

14,000 m3 silt dredged.

9.2 km completed;

1.514 km pipeline completed;

South River PS capacity is 5 m3/s

To be assessed at project completion

16 stormwater drain outlets completed

34 km of stormwater pipelines completed

Cancelled.

Consultants provided support to NMG, PMO and IAs through trainings on financial management, environment, resettlement, PPMS and other aspects of project implementation.