Shanghai Municipality Plan for the Scope and Allocation of Authority for Approval of River Outfall Establishment (2026 Revision)

This Plan applies to the approval of the establishment, alteration, or expansion of river outfalls in Shanghai by industrial and mining enterprises, industrial and other types of park wastewater treatment plants, and urban wastewater treatment plants. Outfalls may not be established within drinking water source protection areas; new outfalls are prohibited within protected areas for natural protected waters, important fishery waters, and similar waters, while establishment near such areas requires scientific assessment and pollution prevention measures. New, altered, and expanded outfalls are strictly controlled in water function zones failing to meet water ecological environment quality standards. Approval authority is allocated among national, municipal, and district levels according to environmental impact assessment approval authority and dispute circumstances. Approval authorities shall conduct technical reviews and disclose approval information; outfall-setting entities shall standardize signs, monitoring sampling points or inspection wells, and fulfill obligations for self-monitoring, information disclosure, inspection, and maintenance.