Meicun Wastewater Treatment Plant, China

What is it? Lake Taihu must be one of the most polluted bodies of water on earth. Situated near Wuxi, outside Shanghai, it suffered algal blooms in 2007, which threatened the drinking water supplies of 30 million people. It is the first lake to become subject to tough new regulations to protect water quality. The Meicum Wastewater Treatment Plant is an important step towards reducing the amount of chemical and organic wastes reaching the lake. It incorporates a modular membrane bioreactor with a capacity of up to 100,000m3/d.

Who is responsible? GE Water, using Zenon ZeeWeed ultrafiltration technology.

Why has it been shortlisted?

• Lake Taihu is on the front line of the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection in China. GE Water has shown that both sides can be winners.

• The project has been rolled out at a speed which matches the urgency of the problem, with the first 30,000m3/d module completed within six months of the contract being signed.

• It is the first large-scale application of MBR technology in China.