Integrated management of water and ecology in the urban area of Laoshan district, Qingdao, China

Wastewater and storm water management are incorporated into ecological design by open water channel, storage pond, and constructed wetlands to form green waterways or ecological corridors, which connect remnant patches into an ecological network within the urban area and lead to an integrated water and ecological management. The integrated management philosophy of water and ecology is introduced into the planning of the reconstruction of Beizai Community of Laoshan District in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, which is located at the Zhangcunhe Creek watershed in China. Five residential areas were planned in Beizhai Community. Wastewater in each residential area will be collected and treated separately according to the principle of decentralized water management, and effluent from wastewater treatment plants will be discharged into the landscaping water-body combined with polishing ponds and wetlands for further treatment and storage. From this point the purified water flows with storm runoff into nearby open water courses or ecological trenches, which transport the mixed water to creeks nearby. For the prevention of eutrophication and algae bloom from nutrients, constructed wetlands and riparian aquatic plants are employed to form buffer zones. The five residential ecological patches, one open water system, and greenways along Zhuangcunhe Creek will form an ecological network and will improve the livelihood, recreation, and biological diversity of the reconstruction area.