Wastewater treatment: hot topic at the Environmental Fair

IFAT China: Great opportunities for European companies
Wastewater treatment: hot topic at the Environmental Fair in Shanghai

Shanghai / Munich - About 60 percent of Chinese cities have no waste
water treatment plants. In rural areas wastewater is mostly not
treated. In the second International Trade Fair for Environmental
Protection IFAT 2006, from 27 to 30 June in Shanghai is on the stage,
the issue of "waste water treatment" play a central role. Nearly a
third of the total of 250 exhibitors will offer products and services
for the protection of water resources.

"Generally good market opportunities exist for technologies for
pretreatment of wastewater, for advanced methods and chemical
feedstocks for water treatment and wastewater treatment, and for
accurate and reliable measurement technique," said Eugen Egetenmeir,
Member of the Management Board of Messe München, together with the
Shanghai Expo, the IFAT organized against pressrelease. In principle,
will the demand for wastewater treatment and recycling processes and
systems significantly increase because of growing political pressure
on the company.

For the first time in China and waste water charges levied. About this
revenue to finance new projects. At the Chinese east coast to the
capital of the province of Canton, Guangzhou, many new treatment
plants are currently being planned and built. Ambitious is the goal of
the two cities of Beijing and Shanghai. Up to the Olympics in 2008, 90
percent of waste water is treated in Beijing. Currently, the
wastewater collection rate is only about 50 percent. Shanghai also has
up to the 2010 World Expo ambitious plans: 80 percent of wastewater
should be clarified. Currently only about 20 percent of the resulting
wastewater is treated adequately.

Meanwhile, will under all environmental problems in China felt the
lack of water probably the most pressing. "More than half of China's
major rivers is considered to be extremely burdened," said Egetenmeir.
According to experts in the cities 90 percent of surface water and 50
percent of the ground water is very dirty. "Lack of water affects the
chip manufacturer in Shanghai, just like the farmers in the north of
the country," said Egetenmeir. By 2010, therefore, according to the
Ministry of Construction about 30 billion euros are earmarked for the
expansion of water supply and sanitation, including pipe and sewer
systems.

The experts especially for investors with good opportunities modern
technologies. The change in environmental policy, which is now
oriented not only to combat the worst damage, but also knows the
precautionary principle, provide a fertile ground for it. The current
five-year plan calls for even to invest 1.3 percent of GDP in the
limitation and control of pollution. The money is to come to more than
half of private investors.

This year's IFAT is the second international trade fair for
environmental protection in China. 2004 252 exhibitors from 17
countries were represented in Shanghai. Some 9,500 guests from 69
countries visited the fair.