Aerial photo taken on Nov. 19, 2021 shows a view of the Guangzhou Shijing sewage treatment plant in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- China's countryside will see better sewage treatment capacities as the country pushes forward its rural vitalization strategy and improves the rural living environment.

It plans to ensure that 40 percent of domestic sewage in rural areas is treated by 2025, up from 28 percent in 2020, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The high cost of construction and difficulties in maintenance have impeded the creation of a comprehensive sewage treatment system in the rural parts of China.

Government organs, market entities and villagers will be encouraged to join hands to promote rural sewage treatment, the ministry said, pledging a raft of measures.

Treatment facilities will be built in densely populated areas. Where conditions permit, the role of professional institutions can be tapped to treat wastewater on a larger scale.

Digital technology is playing a larger role in facilitating the safe recycling of wastewater in villages.

With the support of the local government, Zhang Wei, a villager in Hadatun Village in Pingfang District of Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, equipped his home with a smart sewage treatment facility.

"In the past, we just poured wastewater outside and let it stink, but now we can turn the wastewater into water for irrigation," he said.

The digital platform has connected more than 1,000 rural households through sewage treatment facilities, said Wang Xiaodong, who is in charge of the platform developed by Datang Convergence, a provider of telecommunications and internet services.

The smart solution for rural domestic sewage treatment boasts accuracy and low maintenance costs, and is expected to connect about 35,000 households this year, he said.

"The facility has improved our life and given us a strong sense of happiness," Zhang said.  ■