It is the fifth time that Wang Gang has presented proposals for water treatment at the annual session of the National People's Congress.

Wang, an NPC deputy who is vice-chairman of the Gansu Federation of Industry and Commerce and deputy director of the national laboratory of membrane materials and applications, has been dedicated to fighting water shortages in Gansu province for more than 20 years.

Wang Gang, vice-chairman of the Gansu Federation of Industry and Commerce, attends the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing. [Photo/China Daily]

This year, at the fifth session of the 13th NPC, Wang proposed increasing support for Gansu to recover and utilize sewage resources, and thus protect the environment of the Yellow River to ensure its high-quality development.

"For a long time, water shortages were a limitation for Gansu's economic development and it is a big challenge to make efficient usage after sewage treatment," Wang said.

In 2021, Wang and his team developed a reverse osmosis membrane in an attempt to empower the environmental protection industry with a new material.

This membrane is fiber-like and can only penetrate water molecules and not other elements such as dissolved salts, colloids, bacteria, micro-organisms and organic matter, according to the team.

"A facility installed with the membrane module has a low operational cost, and it requires less investment and is easy to build," Wang said.

"Its stable performance and availability offer suitable sewage treatment in rural areas," he added.

According to Wang, they have built three such facilities in the towns of Datong, Hongcheng and Tongyuan, Yongdeng county. They can meet the drinking water demand of people in remote areas across Yongdeng and Yuzhong counties.

Over the past 24 years, Wang has spared no effort in the treatment of surface water and sewage resource utilization of the Yellow River. He has tried to find solutions for tackling substandard drinking water in remote rural areas. So far, Wang and his team have secured more than 80 patents in terms of scientific research.

"The future belongs to and relies on the young generation. My experience has taught me that the innovative spirit is what a young entrepreneur needs most.

"Only innovations in technology, organization and management can lead to a prosperous business," Wang said.

"It is necessary to maintain a sense of social responsibility and strive to contribute to society and the nation," he added.

Wang said he will continue to use the membrane material and national laboratory's resources to deliver and commercialize more scientific results.

During the ongoing NPC annual session, Wang also delivered proposals for teenage sports education and business environment improvement.