A recent investigation by China Central Television has uncovered substandard rural sewage treatment projects in several regions, raising serious concerns about environmental protection and infrastructure quality.

Reporters investigating areas including towns in Xuzhou and Xiangfen County in Linfen discovered that some sewage stations are idle while untreated wastewater continues to be discharged directly. Some projects are disconnected from local realities, with pipe networks laid on embankments and treatment facilities built in small villages of only a hundred residents, leaving equipment running empty for extended periods.

Construction quality of the sewage pipe networks is also poor, resulting in ground collapses, sewage wells overflowing, and road waterlogging, which disrupts the daily lives of villagers. In Shiduan Village, Tongshan District, Xuzhou, residents reported that the sewage treatment facilities not only fail to process wastewater but frequently cause overflow and backflow into homes. Even in dry weather, some sewage wells continuously leak and emit unpleasant odors. Villagers have resorted to sealing well openings with cement to reduce the stench, but the seepage problem remains unresolved.

Upon opening one sewage well, reporters found black, foul-smelling wastewater at a depth of about two meters, clearly higher than the household drainage pipe outlets. The high water level creates back pressure, preventing household wastewater from entering the public network and causing sewage to flow backward into homes. With no other option, villagers have rerouted their pipes to discharge wastewater directly into ditches, completely defeating the purpose of centralized treatment.

The village also shows widespread signs of uneven road settlement, collapses, and cracks along the sewage pipe network routes. Residents attribute this to substandard construction that has damaged pre-existing roads. After gaining consensus, villagers used excavators to dig up collapsed sections, revealing that the underground sewage pipes were surrounded by raw earth without any sand or gravel backfill.

In Dongshan Village, also in Tongshan District, villagers stated that because the local sewage treatment facility cannot properly collect and process wastewater, domestic sewage is discharged directly into nearby rivers and ponds. On-site observations showed the pond surface covered with duckweed and garbage, with blackened water emitting a strong odor when stirred. Most households in the village lack proper sewage drains, allowing wastewater to flow freely.

Adding to the confusion, villagers noticed an unexpected sewage treatment fee included in their water bills. According to the "Rural Tap Water Price Standard of Tongshan District, Xuzhou," rural residents are charged 0.35 yuan per ton for sewage treatment. Mobile phone billing records show this new charge was added starting March 2025. A staff member at Maocun Water Supply Service Station explained, "Our water company doesn't understand it either; the sewage treatment fee was deducted from the top..."