The reporter learned from the recent 2014 Qingdao International Desalination Conference that the utilization of seawater desalination in China has increased from 08 million cubic meters in 2005 to 110 million cubic meters in 2012.
Chen Jian, Deputy Minister of the International Liaison Department of the China Association for Science and Technology, said that as of the end of 2012, China had completed 95 seawater desalination projects, with a total daily output of
774000 tons of desalination water.
From 2003 to 2012, the utilization of unconventional water sources, including seawater, increased from 1.63 billion cubic meters to 4.46 billion cubic meters, with an average annual growth rate of 17.4%; But its proportion in the total water
consumption of that year only increased from 0.3% to 0.7%.
Unconventional water sources refer to water resources that are different from traditional surface water and groundwater, mainly including rainwater, recycled water, seawater, mine water, and brackish water. These water sources can be
recycled and reused after treatment. China is one of the 13 poorest water countries in the world, and the development and utilization of unconventional water sources is an important way to solve the shortage of water resources. "At present,
the cost of seawater desalination in China is about 3.7 yuan per ton, and the selling price is about 5 yuan, which is acceptable. Experts pointed out at the meeting that the lack of public acceptance is an important factor restricting the
development of the seawater desalination industry.". "Some ordinary people are very resistant to this, and even unwilling to use desalinated seawater to wash vegetables and dishes."
An expert from Zhejiang said that Zhejiang is one of the provinces with the largest scale of seawater desalination in China. The obstacles to industrial development now are not technology and costs. "As far as I know, some enterprises have
a production capacity of 60000 tons per day, but in reality, they only produce 20000 tons per day, and as a result, half cannot be sold." He believes that the most important issue is the concept. "Some owners of seawater desalination plants
don't even use desalinated seawater in their own homes."
This viewpoint has been recognized by multiple experts present. Researcher Ma Deyi, Director of the First Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration, introduced that even if you drink all the desalinated seawater every day,
the amount of minerals consumed will not exceed one soybean, and it will not have a fundamental impact on the body. "So now the main issue is still the concept."
Some experts also believe that the public in China is resistant to the use of unconventional water sources. On the one hand, certain water pollution incidents have made people more concerned about water safety, and on the other hand,
there is a lack of scientific understanding and correct understanding of them due to previous lack of contact.
Tian Yulong, Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Management Center and the Technical Research Center for Unconventional Water Sources of the Ministry of Water Resources, pointed out that the utilization of unconventional water
sources such as seawater desalination started late in China, with insufficient publicity and public acceptance, all of which have affected industrial development. He said that unconventional water sources are relatively stable, and their development and utilization can supplement available water sources, alleviate water resource shortages, effectively improve water ecology and environment, and avoid problems such as ground subsidence and water quality changes caused by overexploitation of groundwater. In addition, the development and utilization of unconventional water sources can reduce urban waterlogging, reduce pollution emissions, and replenish groundwater.
Experts attending the meeting said that the Chinese public is relatively resistant to the use of unconventional water sources. On the one hand, some water pollution and water source pollution incidents make people more concerned about
water safety. On the other hand, it is because they have not had contact with it before and do not have a scientific understanding of it.
Experts suggest that changing the public's perception of unconventional water source development and utilization in China requires various forms of science popularization, such as introducing successful experiences from abroad to the
public, using data to clarify doubts, and piloting free trials in communities in some pilot cities.
