Science park leading the way to cleaner water

Kunming Aquatic Science Park, China's first water science and technology park in Southwest China's Yunnan province, is aiming to provide solutions for water pollution problems in the province and the rest of the country.

"Water shortage has occurred in more areas of China. Climate change is part of the reason, but pollution is also a major factor," said Zhong Bo, director of the Environmental Protection Bureau of Kunming National Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone in Chenggong.

In Yunnan, for example, although water resources are rich, most are unevenly distributed or have been polluted, Zhong said.

Dianchi Lake, in Kunming, has been a challenge for the government for decades. As China's sixth-largest freshwater lake, it has been troubled by deteriorating water quality over the past 20 years after being polluted by industrial and human waste.

Kunming Kingem Industry Co Ltd, a company in the park specializing in sewerage systems, was a printing and dyeing factory for 21 years, located 2 kilometers from the lake and a major source of pollution.

Thanks to increasing awareness of environmental protection, the factory phased out all the printing and dyeing equipment in 1974 and installed new sewerage equipment to purify the city's daily sewage from homes and businesses. It treated 10,000 cubic meters per day and became the first sewerage company in Yunnan.

However, with the increasing need for the treatment of industrial waste from chemical and drug companies in the city, the company met a bottleneck in enhancing its technology.

"Talented and experienced professionals are mostly in Beijing and Shanghai, and without a bigger platform, it is difficult to attract long-term cooperation or technical assistance," said Wang Zhaojing, manager assistant of the company.

Thanks to the establishment of the park, technical exchanges and assistance became possible. With the support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an academic research station was launched in 2012.

Kunming Kingem Industry was able to produce a portable filter cartridge that could be easily installed and cleaned, and it is trying to introduce the filter cartridge into traditional drugmaking companies.

"Some traditional Chinese medicines need to be extracted, and the filter could be utilized as a low-cost and environmentally friendly option," Wang said.

Last month, the park signed contracts with the Harbin Institute of Technology and three companies specializing in the nuclear and space industries to introduce advanced technologies to the companies in the park.

In addition, it also helps create more business opportunities, as well as a fair market environment to its companies to avoid cutthroat competition.

"The park has the great advantage of providing business opportunities as a whole and providing an open platform for healthy competition to all companies," said Zhou Rong, director of investment and development department of Yinfa Environmental Protection Co Ltd, a company producing purifying equipments, especially for water polluted by heavy metals.

Since its establishment in November 2011 in Chenggong, the park has attracted more than 100 high-tech aquatic science companies.

In 2012, it had an annual income of 1.3 billion yuan ($211.5 million) and is expected to hit a new high of more than 1.5 billion yuan by the end of this year.

"The aquatic science park reflects of the support from the government. We are making great efforts to build a platform for those high-tech and environmentally friendly enterprises," said Wang Minzheng, director of the Administration Office of Kunming High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

To educate younger generations about the need for water saving, an exhibition hall will be open by the end of this year. Students from local primary and high schools will be the major audience.