To Implement the Water Resource Management System, The Standard ''Water Efficiency Limits and Water Efficiency Grades for Reverse Osmosis Water Purifiers'' Has Been Released

[Introduction] Recently, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Standardization Administration of China released the national standard GB34914-2017, "Water Efficiency Limits and Water Efficiency Grades for Reverse Osmosis Water Purifiers." This standard, aimed at implementing the strictest water resource management system, sets a red line for strictly controlling water use efficiency and will be implemented from November 2018.

It is understood that with the improvement of residents' living standards, people are paying more and more attention to the quality of drinking water, and the demand and consumption of water purifiers are also constantly increasing. Among them, reverse osmosis water purifiers, due to their high-quality output water, currently account for 60% of the market share, with nearly 4,000 manufacturers and annual sales of more than 10 million units. These products use reverse osmosis membranes as the main purification element, achieving purification through multi-stage filtration, while also producing some concentrated wastewater. According to surveys, nearly 40% of household reverse osmosis water purifiers on the market currently have a water production rate (hereinafter referred to as water efficiency) of less than 20%, resulting in a huge waste of water resources. To promote the improvement of water efficiency in this type of product, the Standardization Administration of China has promoted the formulation of the water efficiency standard for reverse osmosis water purifiers.

According to Bai Xue, associate researcher at the China National Institute of Standardization and the main drafter of the standard, the standard specifies the testing and calculation methods for water efficiency, classifies water efficiency into five levels, and sets a red line for the water production rate of purified water. Level 5, or the water efficiency limit, is 35%. By setting this water efficiency limit, at least 30% of high water-consuming products will be eliminated, with an estimated annual water saving of over 100 million cubic meters. Surveys indicate that the average efficiency of water purifiers is less than 20%, and it is expected that the average efficiency will double to over 40% after the standard is implemented. Furthermore, the standard's establishment of advanced water-saving values can guide the industry towards improved water efficiency. In the reverse osmosis water purifier water efficiency standard, Level 2, with a water-saving evaluation value of 55%, serves as an advanced indicator for leading high-efficiency water-saving products, encouraging companies to improve technology and achieve higher water efficiency through enhanced overall product quality.

Bai Xue also introduced that there are currently eight water efficiency standards published, covering toilets, faucets, washing machines, water purifiers, showers, urinals, squat toilets, and toilet flush valves. Among these, the standards for faucets, urinals, squat toilets, and toilet flush valves are planned for revision, while the national standards for dishwashers and rotary showerheads are currently under development.

It is understood that on September 13, 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Water Resources (http://www.mwr.gov.cn/), and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine jointly issued the "Water Efficiency Labeling Management Measures." The mandatory national water efficiency standards serve as the basis for the implementation of the water efficiency labeling system. In the future, relevant departments will implement water efficiency labeling for water purifiers based on these standards. Enterprises will self-declare the water efficiency level and main water consumption indicators of their reverse osmosis water purifiers by affixing water efficiency labels, accepting market and consumer supervision. The implementation of the water efficiency labeling system will effectively improve the enforcement of water efficiency standards. It is estimated that implementing water efficiency labeling can save 6 billion tons of water annually.

It is also understood that, in the next step, the Quality Inspection Headquarters and the National Standardization Administration will continue to focus on water-using products that are of widespread concern to consumers and are widely used. Based on product development trends, market demand, and the needs of my country's water conservation efforts, they will strengthen the formulation and revision of water efficiency standards. Starting from improving the standard level, they will promote the comprehensive improvement of product water efficiency and quality, and facilitate supply-side structural reform.