A new industrial park in China will use advanced technologies to recycle wastewater, in an effort to build a sustainable jewelry manufacturing site. The project between Black & Veatch and Zhongying Precious Metal aims to produce effluent that complies with Class 1A Chinese National Discharges, according to a press release. The Class 1A designation means that wastewater discharged into sensitive water bodies must be treated to reduce nutrients and suspended solids. The plant is using a new membrane bioreactor/integrated fixed-film sludge technology that should help make the water reusable, in certain applications. The park, which covers more than 25 acres, will feature two wastewater treatment plants.

One of the wastewater treatment plants has a capacity of 9,000 cubic meters a day, designed to treat domestic waste.  The other plant, which can treat up to 2,000 cubic meters a day, is geared toward industrial waste. The project is expected to be completed in December. In Virginia, a new project is using algae to clean water that is discharged into a river. An associated by-product benefit of the project is that it produces bio fuel and green coal from the algae residue.