Beijing deal with agro-pollution

In addition to air pollution from vehicles, agricultural activities also contribute greatly to the city's pollution. With technology playing a greater role in reducing pollutants, farmers have found a good use for farm waste.

Manure has become a new source of energy in chicken farms near Beijing. Some farmers are participating in a pilot project that tries to completely recycle farm waste.

Sewage and manure have been collected and transported to a biogas power station. After filtering, fermentation and desulfuration, the sewage and manure have been turned into biogas that is to provide energy for 500 local households.

Si Xiang, chicken farm owner, Yanqing County, Beijing, said,"We turn part of the biogas into electricity. Every year our farm provides 14 million kilowatt hours of electricity and sends it to the National Grid."

"The locals have gotten rid of gas tanks. There's no pollution. It's quite clean."

Recently the Beijing Waterworks Group has been upgrading the largest sewage plant to meet the water supply demand for a city with a population increase of 400 thousand every year. When the project finishes, the Gaobeidian sewage plant will be able to treat a million tons every day and provide the city with 300 million tons of recycled water every year.