Framework of wastewater reclamation and reuse policies (WRRPs) in China: Comparative analysis across levels and areas

• Wastewater reclamation and reuse policy frameworks across levels and areas are outlined.
• Policy factors affect China’s wastewater reclamation and reuse most.
• Decentralized water management fails to integrate reclaimed wastewater into water resource allocation systems.
• Administrative orders are more effective than pricing instrument.
• Administrative orders should be specified and rigid enough to realize targeted functions.

As integral parts of wastewater reclamation and reuse policy (WRRP) frameworks, policy objectives, price instrument, administrative orders and penalty for violations are analyzed in the comparative research on detailed policies across levels and areas of China. Northern cities have formed more integral WRRP frameworks than other ones. Stepwise Regression Analysis(SRA) technique is adopted to evaluate the linkages between influencing factors and wastewater reclamation and reuse levels among 11 sampled cities of China. It is found that policy factor other than water scarcity or economic factor exerts effective impacts on China’s wastewater reclamation and reuse, and the overall strategy is encouraging. Decentralized water management fails to integrate reclaimed wastewater into water resource allocation systems, and the efficiency of reclaimed wastewater can hardly be achieved. The applicability of reclaimed wastewater is differentiated for various water users, with the obstacles coming from formidable investments and worry about health risks. At the beginning stage of wastewater reclamation and reuse in China, administrative orders are likely to be more effective than pricing instrument, only if they are specified and rigid enough. In spite of the comparative advantages of administrative orders, municipal governments tend to favor the establishment of efficient reclaimed wastewater markets.