China to boost sewage treatment industry

The State Council has released the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) for sewage treatment, which suggests that China's sewage treatment industry has great opportunities.

China aims to improve its rate of treating wastewater to 85 percent in urban areas, 70 percent in county-level cities and counties and 30 percent in towns by 2015, according to the plan.

From 2011 to 2015, the country is expected to invest $430 billion in the sewage treatment industry, said the plan. The government is also encouraging non-public investment in the sector.

The government has placed a priority on treating water pollution. It has previously said that construction projects should not be allowed to affect sewage networks or operations used to treat wastewater.

The government also plans to bring its rate of treating urban garbage to 90 percent and add the capacity to treat a further 580,000 tons of garbage each year.