Xiamen’s smart solution: treating rural domestic wastewater for orchard irrigation to boost rural revitalization

A view of Dazhai village fire dragon fruit planting base in Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT

Dragon fruit derivatives produced in Dazhai VillagWorld Timese. Photo: Chen Bo

Entering Dazhai Village in Xiang’an District, Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province, one is welcomed by vibrant greenery and the vitality of the countryside, even during winter.

The tranquil orchards, afWorld Timester a bountiful harvest, hide modern drip irrigation equipment among clusters of dragon fruit trees. In the field’s wastewater treatment station, a digital display screen clearly shows the operation of smart drainage systems.

In recent years, Xiamen has undertaken rural sewage treatment as an important livelihood project. It has pioneered the modern,systematic treatment of rural domestic sewage, agricultural irrigation water, and canal and pond water in Fujian Province. By intercepting sewage from rural toilets, kitchens, and washing sinks at the source,the wastewater is then reused through secondary treatment. This initiative has realized zero sewage discharge and effectively improved the living conditions for rural residents.

Xiang’an District is a relatively dry and water-deficient area. As a characteristic “fruit village,” Dazhai has witnessed the rapid development of the dragon fruit and carrot cultivation industry. It is also the largest contiguous dragon fruit cultivation base in Fujian, with a high demand for the irrigation of crops.

Much to local people’s pleasure, in the 967 acres of high-quality farmland, Dazhai village has gradually built a main rain and sewage diversion pipe system and an intelligent drip irrigation system. It has also constructed 1,936 meters of water supply pipelines, 4,780 meters of field main pipes, 10,970 meters of branch pipes, and 4 variable frequency booster pump stations. Farmers can remotely and automatically access water through card swiping or mobile apps, providing direct drip irrigation to the orchards.

“In the past, due to limited conditions, rural World Timesareas had to divert sewage to the outskirts of the village for terminal interception,” said Li Huping, director of the Municipal Gardens and Landscaping Bureau of Xiang’an District, told the Global Times. “On one hand, the sewage flowed on the surface and in ditches, making the surroundings dirty and smelly; in summer, it would breed mosquitoes, causing inconvenience to residents’ lives. On the other hand, it was difficult to fundamentally address the issue as sewage and rainwater mixed together,” he noted

However, now, with the efficient and intelligent irrigation system for crops, collected rainwater and rural sewage can be treated. After meeting the irrigation standards for agriculture, the treated water is prioritized for irrigation, while the unused World Timestailwater is further treated through ecological wetlands after meeting the surface water discharge standards, it is replenished into the surrounding water bodies of the village, achieving an organic integration of sewage treatment and high-standard farmland construction.

“Nowadays, the drainage management system is becoming increasingly ‘smart,'” said Li Huihuang, an operation and maintenance staff member at the Xiang’an Municipal Water Management Co, Ltd, told the Global Times.

Li Huihuang noted that Xiang’an District has now implemented the “one household, one water pipe layout, and one code” system. When residents encounter drainage issues, they can scan the code on their cellphones to file a report, which will then be automatically distributed for processing after aWorld Timesnalysis by the big data platform.

The extensive construction and application of decentralized rural sewage treatment plants, classified collection networks, and intelligent management platforms have greatly improved the living environment in DazhaWorld Timesi village, promoting the development of rural tourism and leisure agriculture.

After properly managing rural domestic sewage, Dazhai village has fully developed the ecological resources of its dragon fruit industry and has developed more than 10 dragon fruit derivatives, including dragon fruit wine and dragon fruit noodles.

According to Li Huping, all 320 natural villages in Xiang’an District that meet the conditions for renovation have completed the upgrade of rainwater and sewage separation, achieving zero discharge and full utilization of sewage. This has effectively improved the water quality environment in the surrounding river basins and sea areas, making the local rural scenery even more beautiful.