Residential areas in small towns are sparsely distributed, resulting in numerous scattered low-volume sewage discharge points. Meanwhile, the daily processing capacity of township-level wastewater treatment facilities is generally below 10,000 tons. In view of the far lower capital investment in township infrastructure compared with urban areas, the treatment solutions need to feature low initial investment, low operating cost and stable technical performance. This paper conducts a preliminary analysis of Medical Wastewater Monitoring standards and management specifications for township health centers.

Medical wastewater contains high concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms and viruses. Untreated direct discharge will trigger serious environmental pollution risks. Therefore, whether the disinfection and sterilization processes comply with official regulatory standards serves as a core basis for judging qualified wastewater discharge. In accordance with the Emission Standards for Water Pollutants from Medical Institutions, small-scale medical institutions mostly adopt chlorine-based disinfection for wastewater treatment, with clear specified limits for total residual chlorine content. However, the shortage of full-time on-site monitoring personnel in township health centers may cause improper chlorine dosing, which easily leads to discharge indicators failing to meet environmental protection and health management standards.

Township Health Center Wastewater Monitoring Standards

1. Staff shall collect 500mL water samples for detection, with three consecutive sampling and testing cycles. The discharge is qualified when no Mycobacterium tuberculosis and intestinal pathogens are detected in samples;
2. The total coliform count of treated wastewater shall be controlled within 500 CFU/L;
3. After disinfection and sterilization treatment, the total residual chlorine concentration shall be maintained steadily at 4–5 mg/L;
4. Chlorine disinfection is adopted for wastewater treatment, and the contact reaction time between chlorine agent and wastewater shall be controlled within one hour.

Specifications for Facility Configuration and Operation

Medical wastewater shall be transported to professional treatment tanks through dedicated pipelines, and external discharge is allowed only after all monitoring indicators meet the standard requirements. The design and daily operation of treatment facilities shall comply with the following specifications:

1. The facility site shall be separated from patient reception and treatment areas, and arranged in relatively hidden and independent zones as far as possible;
2. Complete anti-leakage and anti-corrosion treatments shall be implemented for facilities, and 1 cm thick melamine boards can be adopted for construction and protection;
3. The wastewater treatment system shall maintain stable operating performance and good long-term service durability;
4. The overall operation process shall be simplified to adapt to the daily operation and management of on-site staff.

Medical Wastewater Pretreatment and Standardized Monitoring

1. Centralize the collection of medical wastewater, conduct preliminary filtration to remove large particulate impurities, and carry out classified treatment according to the water quality characteristics of different wastewater;
2. Select targeted treatment technologies, supporting equipment and monitoring instruments based on actual on-site installation and operation conditions;
3. Conduct continuous cyclic treatment and real-time indicator detection until all water quality indicators fully comply with national regulatory standards.

To effectively verify the compliance of wastewater treatment effects, professional water quality monitoring instruments shall be installed at the outlet of treatment tanks. As a key detection index of medical wastewater quality, coliform bacteria can be monitored by installing Online Coliform Analyzers at the discharge port. The equipment supports real-time dynamic monitoring of coliform content, and can timely remind staff to adjust treatment parameters when indicator deviations occur, so as to ensure stable compliance of discharge water quality.