Spatial Variation of Domestic Water Consumption and Fate of Domestic Sewage in Rural Areas of Taihu Region, Jiangsu

A survey was carried out by means of questionnaires of domestic water consumption and fate of domestic sewage in the rural areas of the Taihu Region, Jiangsu Province, China. Results show that rural domestic water consumption per capita varies sharply from area to area. The plain areas followed an order of Changzhou 99.2 L·(person·d)^-1 > Suzhou 76.9 L·(person·d)^-1 > Wuxi 64.1 L·(person·d)^-1 and the hilly areas an order of Wuxi 118.6 L·(person·d)^-1 > Zhenjiang 109.1 L·(person·d)^-1 > Changzhou 93.6 L·(person·d)^-1. Income of the farmers and the population in the area are the two most important factors affecting domestic water consumption in the rural areas. Septic tanks are the most common way to treat domestic sewage in this region, and their domestic sewage treatment rate reached 96.6%, 92.8%, 91.0% and 84.9% in Wuxi, Suzhou, Changzhou and Zhenjiang, respectively. But the existing sewage treatment facilities are still far from enough to effectively reduce the pressure of sewage discharge on surface water environment. In terms of domestic sewage treatment efficiency, an order of Wuxi >Changzhou > Suzhou is found in the plain areas, being 60.9%, 22.8% and5.2%, respectively, and an order of Wuxi > Zhenjiang > Changzhou is in the hilly areas, being 55.7%, 9.1% and2.2%,respectively.