There are six sewage treatment plants in Xiamen, with a daily sewage treatment capacity of 509,000 tons. In the whole year of 2002, 74.2 million M³ of sewage has received Grade One treatment and 57.9 million M³ has received Grade Two treatment. 147,800 tons of sludge has got treated. 100% of the treated water meets the quality standard. Urban sewage treatment rate has reached 60.86%.

China exercises the system of evaluating the impact of construction projects on the environment, and exerts a classified control of construction projects according to the degree of their impact on the environment. For construction projects that may have serious impacts on the environment, the Report on Environmental Impacts shall be prepared. For those that have mild impacts, the Report Form on Environmental Impacts shall be formulated. For those that have small impacts, no assessment of impacts on the environment is required, but the Environmental Impact Registration Form shall be filled. When making feasibility study or preliminary design, the construction unit shall submit its Report on Environmental Impact, the Report Form of Environmental Impact or Environmental Impact Registration Form to Xiamen Environmental Protection Bureau for approval.

When a construction project requires corollary environmental protection facilities, such facilities shall be designed, constructed and put into operation simultaneously with the main project. The preliminary design of a construction project should be submitted to Xiamen Environmental Protection Bureau for approval.

The construction unit should apply to Xiamen Environmental Protection Bureau for pre-acceptance of the environmental protection facilities one month prior to the trial operation of the project. During the trial operation, the construction unit should monitor the operation of environmental protection facilities and the emission of pollutants. Within 3 months after the trial operation begins, the construction unit should apply to Xiamen Environmental Protection Bureau for acceptance of the environmental protection facilities of the construction project. The construction project can only be put into operation or use when the environmental protection facilities are accepted.