China's wastewater pipe network totals more than 414,000 km in length2, equivalent to more than 10x the Earth's Equator at 40,075 km.
Municipal Wastewater Treatment
As of 2021, China's water treatment plants treat wastewater for 98.1% of municipalities and 28% of rural areas. China plans to build or renovate 80,000 km of sewage collection pipeline networks in the next few years.
China is a country of over 1.6 billion people. A population this large creates a lot of waste and potentially unsanitary conditions.
Over the past 20 years, China has engaged in what is possibly the largest program to build wastewater treatment plants in history. Despite the substantial achievements of this program, many challenges remain. Achievements Until the early 1980s, there was not a single municipal wastewater treatment plant in China.
Many Asian toilets don't use paper at all, they may have a hose as a bidet, or water pale, using their hands to clean, actually, you may find the Chinese are much closer to western style than other Asian cultures.
While water quality is improving, drinking tap water still isn't recommended in China due to the presence of pollution and natural contamination of water supplies. Bottled water is readily available in China and is usually very cheap, but for environmental reasons, consider other options to save on plastic waste.
In China, most hotels have standard Western-style toilets. Public restrooms in big cities usually have at least one Western-style toilet which you can choose if you really hate the idea of a squat style toilet. In big cities, most toilets have cubicles with separating walls and a door that offers complete privacy.
The tap water from a shower or sink is entirely safe for external use. Washing your body, hair, or clothing is perfectly fine with tap water. It is advisable to be extra cautious when washing your face, especially your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Several countries already allow treated wastewater reuse for drinking water. According to the 2017 WHO and US EPA census, the states reusing treated wastewater for drinking water production and distribution are Australia, California, Texas, Singapore, Namibia, South Africa, Kuwait, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
On several coasts in Spain, Bulgaria, Ireland and France the discharge of raw sewage has been reported. It remains unclear at how many locations raw sewage is discharged illegally into the sea. Water pollution is not only caused by illegal discharges but is also the result of non-compliant waste water treatment plants.
Gutter oil typically comes from a variety of food waste sources, including sewer drains, grease traps, discarded animal parts and restaurant oil dumps. Once extracted, the foul-smelling slop is mixed, boiled at high temperature and sold to food vendors throughout China at significantly discounted rates.
Water pollution in China stems from the demand for cheap goods; multinational companies ignore their suppliers' environmental practices. Although China's development has lifted many out of poverty, it has also sent many others into disease.
China's fresh water resources include 2500 cubic kilometers of mean annual run-off in its rivers and 828.8 cubic kilometers of groundwater recharge. As pumping water draws water from nearby rivers, the total available resource is less than the sum of surface and groundwater, and this is only 2,821.4 cubic kilometers.
Research by the Kantar World Panel, goes on to say that 85% of people shower per week in China and average 6 showers per week. People in China also favor shower gels over traditional bar soaps for their showering needs.
If you're using a camp site, follow the instructions (although if in doubt, flush). China – There a wide variety of toilets in China, from European-style porcelain numbers to holes in the ground. Generally speaking, use the bin provided for the paper, but if one isn't provided for holes-in-the-ground, just drop it in.
Paper itself is said to have contributed to a Golden Age in China, with the pulp making process attributed to a chap called Ts'ai Lun (pictured right), a Chinese court official who mixed mulberry bark, hemp, and rags with water.
Can you drink tap water in Australia? The short answer to this question is yes. Tap water in Australia is considered safe to drink by health professionals. In fact, until the 1990s, Australian tap water had an extremely safe and reliable reputation.
Drinking water quality in Australia is high by world standards, considering that globally more than one billion people still do not have access to safe drinking water. In Australia, 93% of households were connected to mains/town water in March 2004.
The Chinese believe that all food and drinks should be taken at normal body temperature, or 100 degrees or greater, because cold foods weaken the Spleen and Stomach. In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), the Spleen needs a moderate temperature in order to function properly.
Because despite Australians' newfound passion for TP, it's actually pretty gross when you think about it. Yes, we're all used to our Western method of post-bathroom cleansing, which involves large wads – folded or scrunched – of this increasingly rare commodity.
This is mainly because squatting toilets cost less to build and maintain than seated ones. Squatting toilets are also considered more hygienic: Not only do they minimize bodily contact with the pan, they also prevent unhealthy practices in a country with only partial awareness of good sanitary practices.
The Chinese prefer the squat-method, forgetting toilet paper as well. If the Western throne is available many still elect to squat, therefore standing on the seat. Leave your modesty behind, because many bathrooms are typically unisex and bathroom stalls or cubicles often do not have doors and walls are usually short.