Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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Daily Overview |
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Water Quality and Pollution Control Location: B129 Session Chair: Shuo Yu, UC Berkeley | |
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The effect of wastewater treatment standard upgrading on plant performance and downstream water quality in China Peking University, China This paper evaluates the impact of upgrading wastewater discharge standards for wastewater treatment plant (WWTPs) in China using a novel dataset linking policies, WWTPs, and water quality monitors via hydrological topology. Employing a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the policy tightens implemented standards by 1.1%–4.0%, resulting in significant reductions in effluent COD (4.1%) and NH3-N (6.7%) through improved removal efficiency, albeit with higher operational costs. We show that such firm-level compliance hinges on ownership structure and pipeline infrastructure. This micro-level abatement effectively translates into downstream water quality improvements, evidenced by a 0.328 improvement in the Water Quality Index, a 22.3% reduction in riverine NH3-N, and an approximately 40% surge in Dissolved Oxygen. This transmission is characterized by a 10-14 month time lag and spatial decay. Furthermore, these environmental benefits are heterogeneous across river sections, depending on administrative border incentives, environmental capacity, and baseline pollution levels. | |