Zhuhai's air quality during the first half of 2023 was generally superior to the regional averages for both Guangdong Province and the Pearl River Delta, local officials announced during a press conference on July 18.

July 18 press conference. [Photo by Wu Changfu / Guanhai App]

In the first half of 2023, the city achieved a satisfactory air quality index (AQI) for 92.3 percent of the evaluated days out of a total of 181 days. Specifically, 97 days were rated excellent and 70 days were rated good. 

According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's national air quality report from January to June this year, Zhuhai ranked sixth among 168 key cities in the country, up three places from the same period in 2022. It also ranked third among the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta region.

The concentrations of six major air quality pollutants, namely PM2.5, PM10, O, NO₂, SO₂, and CO, were assessed and found to meet the standard, recording at 20 μg per cubic meters, 35 μg per cu m, 151 μg per cu m, 18 μg per cu m, 6 μg per cu m, and 0.7 mg per cu m, respectively. 

The PH value of urban precipitation in the first half of 2023 ranged from 4.12 to 7.18, with an average value of 5.25. The incidence rate of acid rain was 26.2 percent, which decreased significantly down by 51.18 percent compared to that in 2022.

The city's water environment remained stable as the surface water quality assessment reached an excellent rating of 100 percent in the tested section.

The city monitored 11 major centralized drinking water sources, such as the Dajingshan, Yangliao, Zhuxiandong, and Qianwu reservoirs. In the first half of 2023, their water quality reached or was better than the national Class III level.

In the first half of 2023, the compliance rate of environmental noise in functional areas during the daytime was 100 percent, and it was 85 percent during the nighttime. As per regulations, environmental noise in urban areas and urban road traffic noise will continue to be monitored in the second half of the year.

In 2022, Zhuhai became one of the first cities in Guangdong Province to have launched the "Beautiful China" campaign. In October 2022, it made a breakthrough by releasing a five-year implementation plan that aims to invest no less than 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) into the construction and improvement of its urban environmental infrastructure. The city is committed to building a model city for the "Beautiful China" brand.

The campaign's 2022-27 key construction project schedule in Zhuhai underwent adjustments on May 18. The total number of projects was increased to 203, the total planned investment increased to 68.48 billion yuan ($9.5 billion), and the planned investment grew to 8.33 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in 2023.

Four industrial sewage treatment plants, such as the Fushan Jiangwan Industrial Water Purification Plant, and related supporting industrial sewage networks have been built. Three industrial sewage treatment plants, such as the Xinqing Industrial Sewage Treatment Plant, are currently under construction. 

It is expected that the city's industrial sewage treatment capacity will reach 201,000 metric tons after completion, representing an increase of 161 percent from that of 2020. Three industrial solid waste disposal and utilization projects are either under construction or in the planning stages. Once operational, these projects are expected to increase the city's annual industrial solid waste disposal capacity by 489,000 tons.

All of these projects will meet the needs of industrial solid waste disposal and utilization for the accelerated development of Zhuhai's seven pillar industries.

Beginning in August this year, Zhuhai will carry out the construction of "waste-free urban units" such as schools, enterprises, scenic areas, shopping malls, residential areas, and hotels. The number of these "units" is planned to exceed 200 within the year.

At present, 14 hazardous waste disposal units in Zhuhai have been constructed and granted operation licenses for handling hazardous waste, including medical waste. 

Zhuhai is now able to handle most of the types of hazardous waste produced within the city, with five new hazardous waste disposal units built between 2021 and 2022, providing an additional annual disposal capacity of about 463,000 tons.