How to Purify a Polluted Lake Quickly—A Case Study from Shanghai, China

摘要

Water pollution has become a serious worldwide problem, especially for lakes with a large stagnant water body. Is it possible to develop high quality water from a heavily polluted river system quickly? This paper introduces an innovative technology termed SPP (separation, prevention and protection) for this purpose. Its feasibility is preliminarily examined using Dianshan Lake in Shang- hai as an example. Due to its very high population density and intensive industrial activities, almost all waterways in Shanghai are heavily polluted, including the lake. However, the data analysis shows that clean water always appears after heavy rains, especially in its suburban areas. Once the 1st flush water is discharged to downstream, high-quality water can be developed from its Dianshan Lake by using the SPP strategy. The Vollenweider model is used to analyze SPP’s feasibility. The results show that the water quality of the Dianshan Lake can be remediated as a drinking water source within 120 days if the SPP strategy is applied. It is suggested that Jinze reservoir’s water should come from the Dianshan lake, not Taipu River to improve the quality of water supply. It is highly recommended for other cities in the world to consider the SPP technology if needed.