Ordos turns wastewater into second water source

Treated wastewater is becoming a vital water source for industry, urban services, and ecological restoration in Ordos city, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, helping the water-scarce city ease shortages and support sustainable development.

Located in the Yellow River's great bend, Ordos is a major energy production base in China but faces overlapping challenges: natural water scarcity, limited water infrastructure, and uneven water distribution. To address these constraints, the city has turned to wastewater recycling as an alternative water source.

Since being selected in 2022 as one of China's first pilot cities for regional reclaimed water recycling, Ordos has developed an integrated approach to water reuse, supported by stronger policies, advanced treatment technologies, and coordinated resource management.

By 2025, urban reclaimed water use had reached 37.37 million cubic meters, up 65 percent from 2021. The utilization rate rose from 67.5 percent to 84.6 percent, exceeding the planned target of 73 percent.

The city has also built 33 centralized domestic wastewater treatment plants, with a combined reclaimed water production capacity of 250,000 metric tons per day. In 2025, the reuse rate for treated domestic wastewater exceeded 90 percent.

Ordos is also tackling wastewater from energy-intensive industries. The city has encouraged all 32 coal chemical enterprises to install salt separation and crystallization equipment. By coordinating concentrated brine treatment with the chlor-alkali industry, the process converts recovered salts into industrial raw materials and enables zero liquid discharge. The technology has been recognized nationally as an advanced demonstration technology for water pollution prevention and control.

Meanwhile, the city is improving mine drainage water reuse through interconnected supply pipelines, allowing water collected from mines to be allocated across areas based on demand and quality requirements. The reuse rate for mine drainage water reached 88 percent in 2025.

To expand applications, Ordos is also developing constructed wetlands to further purify treated wastewater in towns, including Xini in Hanggin Banner and Aolezhaoqi in Otog Front Banner. The reclaimed water is being directed to industrial and residential areas for use, such as green-space irrigation, reducing water costs while improving the living environment.

These efforts are yielding broader environmental benefits. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), all 21 nationally monitored surface-water sections in Ordos met water quality standards, with 100 percent classified as good or excellent. Water quality along the Ordos section of the Yellow River remained at Grade II, while the Wuding and Ulanmulun rivers were selected as national examples of beautiful rivers and lakes.