Qinghai Wastewater Treatment Plant, Golmud | Inland Basin Facility

The Qinghai wastewater treatment plant is located in Golmud (Guolemude Town), Qinghai Province, China, serving a population of approximately 190,000. Situated in the high-altitude Qaidam Basin, the plant is part of the municipal infrastructure for this key city on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. As a large agglomeration serving over 150,000 people, the plant is expected to meet China's national discharge standards under the Environmental Protection Law and the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. These regulations typically require secondary or advanced treatment for such population tiers to protect sensitive inland water bodies. The plant's treated effluent likely discharges into local rivers or groundwater systems within the endorheic Qaidam Basin, which ultimately drains into salt lakes such as Dabsan Lake or Huobuxun Lake. The surrounding arid ecosystem depends on careful water management to prevent salinization and maintain ecological balance.

The plant lies in the Qaidam Basin, a high-altitude endorheic basin in Qinghai Province. Treated wastewater likely flows into seasonal rivers that terminate in salt lakes, such as Dabsan Lake, which are critical habitats for migratory birds and unique halophytic vegetation. The basin's arid climate and sensitive aquatic ecosystems require stringent treatment to avoid nutrient loading and salinization.