Medical wastewater refers to the wastewater generated across various departments of healthcare institutions. Relevant regulatory authorities mandate that untreated or non-compliant wastewater must undergo disinfection before being discharged into the wastewater treatment systems of medical and health institutions, and the entire process is subject to strict supervision.This paper provides a concise overview of the key points in medical wastewater regulation.

Core Focus Areas for Supervision  

1) Verify whether disinfection procedures have been implemented for wastewater and excreta;

2) Ensure that wastewater and fecal matter from infectious disease wards are collected separately, and discharged into the hospital’s centralized wastewater treatment system only after disinfection;

3) Inspect whether all indicators of the discharged wastewater meet the specified standards.

Key Inspection Priorities  

1) Classification of wastewater requiring priority disinfection: Wastewater from departments related to infectious diseases shall be disinfected as a top priority;

2) Disinfection of excreta from patients with infectious diseases;

3) Operation of medical wastewater treatment systems. The treatment process typically includes wastewater pretreatment, physical/chemical treatment, disinfection, and online monitoring of medical wastewater. Pretreatment is carried out by category, involving facilities such as grilles, equalization tanks, disinfection tanks, and septic tanks.

Main Contents of Wastewater Inspection  

Supervision of medical wastewater treatment involves reviewing disinfection records and wastewater monitoring logs to assess the status of wastewater disinfection and equipment operation and maintenance. The objective is to ensure the smooth implementation of the wastewater treatment process.

Wastewater Monitoring indicators is critical in medical wastewater regulation, as these indicators are used to evaluate the disinfection and sterilization efficacy of the water quality. Timely measures can be taken once excessive indicators are detected. Key monitoring indicators for medical wastewater include chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, total residual chlorine, and coliform bacteria. Different water quality online monitoring devices are required for the detection of different parameters, and hospitals can select appropriate instruments based on their specific circumstances.