Deyang (China)

Wetland Park with artificial recharge water supply system to provide drinking water to Deyang

Background

The city of Deyang is struggling to meet the rapidly growing water demand, like many other cities in China. Another problem is severe water pollution.    

Our impact

In an area of three hectares, a Wetland Park has been developed by a consortium of Chinese and the Dutch organisations World Waternet, IHE Delft, MetaMeta and Eijkelkamp. This pilot project is equipped with an artificial groundwater recharge facility and a drinking water production plant. The park will showcase scientific research and contribute to public education. Moreover, it will demonstrate to other Chinese cities how to cope with their insufficient water supplies. If successful, the pilot project might be replicated in five other major cities.    

Activities

Every day, this park will turn 3 million litre of river water into drinking water. An important step in this purifying process is the filtration of water through sand beds. When water percolates into the ground, the sandy layer forms a natural barrier for bacteria and viruses. This man-made process of water infiltrating into the groundwater is also called artificial recharge, a technique that is earthquake-resistant. This system builds on experiences of the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes, the main source of drinking water for the city of Amsterdam.

Obtained results

In September 2016, the wetland park of Deyang has been inaugurated. The park provides a number of functions:

• An artificial recharge water supply system that infiltrates river water into soil, increasing the groundwater volume - this ensures a robust water supply and good quality drinking water
• Base for scientific research by the Chengdu University of Technology
• Providing a show case for robust drinking water supply
• Recreation
• Public education and awareness on water scarcity