14.4.1 Water Discharge Standards and Guidelines

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) manages wastewater discharge quality to prevent pollution and protect aquatic ecosystems and public health through its Green University Practice Regulations – UEH Green Campus, together with on-campus management, operation and water-quality testing procedures. Article 21 establishes requirements for water collection, treatment and quality monitoring, as well as a framework for developing discharge standards based on physical, chemical and biological indicators. In 2025, UEH continued to implement these provisions through the UEH Green Campus Project, focusing on reviewing operating procedures and wastewater testing results at Nguyen Van Linh Campus and undertaking administrative procedures for maintenance and repair of wastewater treatment infrastructure. These activities strengthened the technical and governance foundations for controlling wastewater discharge and reducing potential adverse effects on water environments, ecosystems and human health.

1. Regulations, standards and guidelines for wastewater discharge quality management at UEH
UEH manages wastewater discharge quality under the Green University Practice Regulations – Green Campus, issued together with Decision No. 2059/QD-DHKT-CSVC in 2022, and relevant environmental technical regulations applicable to discharge activities at each campus. The policy aims to control wastewater sources, treat wastewater before discharge and monitor water quality to protect ecosystems, aquatic organisms and public health.

Water-quality management requirements, Clauses 1–3 of Article 21 of the Green University Practice Regulations set out provisions on water collection, treatment and reuse, along with the responsibility of relevant units to conduct periodic monitoring. Clause 5 further provides for developing standards and guidelines for discharged water based on physical, chemical and biological indicators. This forms the policy basis for UEH to refine its wastewater discharge control guidelines and integrate water-environment protection requirements into facilities management.

Technical standards, wastewater quality control at UEH campuses is governed by Vietnamese environmental law. For domestic wastewater, applicable national technical regulations include QCVN 14:2008/BTNMT and QCVN 14:2025/BTNMT, with the implementation timetable depending on legal requirements, facility commissioning dates and environmental documentation for each campus. The specific applicable standards and discharge limits are determined by the relevant environmental permit or legal documentation; a single discharge limit is not assumed to apply to every campus.

Implementation guidelines, UEH water management involves identifying wastewater sources, maintaining collection and treatment systems, monitoring operating procedures, reviewing post-treatment water-quality results and checking environmental management requirements. These activities support assessments of operating conditions, identification of pollution risks and recommendations for improvements appropriate to each system.
In 2025, the UEH Green Campus Project continued standardising water-resource management. According to the project report, UEH consolidated operating procedures, water-quality testing results and storage-tank data at Nguyen Van Linh Campus. It also updated provisions on water-use reduction, reuse and wastewater discharge quality standards as part of the ongoing refinement of the Green University Regulations. This work demonstrates the connection between policy objectives, technical standards and actual operational data during the 2025 assessment period.

Policy and standards sources

2. Implementation of wastewater discharge quality control and maintenance of treatment infrastructure in 2025

In 2025, UEH continued managing and inspecting the wastewater treatment system at Nguyen Van Linh Campus while standardising water-resource management guidelines under the UEH Green Campus Project.
The main tasks involved reviewing system operating procedures, consolidating water-quality testing results produced by a third party and compiling storage-tank data to develop and refine water-management criteria. These activities provided UEH with additional information to assess operating conditions, monitor treated wastewater quality and identify requirements for further improvement in discharge control.
In addition to water-quality inspections, UEH continued investing in the maintenance of technical infrastructure. In February 2025, the University approved procedures for repairing and maintaining air blowers at Nguyen Van Linh Campus under Decisions Nos. 940, 944, 945 and 947. In September 2025, UEH undertook corresponding procedures for the wastewater treatment system at Building B1 under Decisions Nos. 1552, 1556, 1557 and 1559.

These decisions document resource management for the maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and support water-quality control requirements during operation. Post-repair effectiveness is to be assessed through acceptance records and corresponding testing results.
Overall, activities in 2025 focused on two complementary areas: reviewing wastewater quality data and requirements, while also maintaining the technical operating conditions of treatment systems, to prevent water pollution and protect receiving environments.
Sources

3. Activities implemented in 2025

No. Activity Implementation details Public source
1 Review of wastewater quality management and testing guidelines UEH Green Campus consolidated operating procedures, water-quality testing results and storage-tank data at Nguyen Van Linh Campus to refine water-management criteria and wastewater discharge standards. This is the most direct evidence of the development and updating of water-management guidelines in 2025. New Advances in the UEH Green Campus Project in 2025, section “Governance – Standardising the Sustainability Governance System at UEH”, published on 4 February 2026.
2 Maintenance of wastewater treatment infrastructure at Nguyen Van Linh Campus In February 2025, UEH approved procedures for repairing and maintaining air blowers under Decisions Nos. 940, 944, 945 and 947. These are infrastructure management records and do not replace water-quality testing results.
Image3		 UEH, 2025 Document Register: https://tckt.ueh.edu.vn/VanBan/?m=185&year=2025
3 Maintenance of wastewater treatment infrastructure at Building B1 In September 2025, UEH approved procedures for repairing air blowers under Decisions Nos. 1552, 1556, 1557 and 1559, helping maintain the technical conditions required for wastewater treatment. UEH, 2025 Document Register: https://tckt.ueh.edu.vn/VanBan/?m=185&year=2025

Image2
Figure 1: Governance – Standardising the Sustainability Governance System at UEH
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Figure 2: Decision No. 940 dated 11 February 2025; Decisions Nos. 944 and 945 dated 14 February 2025; Decision No. 947 dated 21 February 2025.
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Figure 3: Decision No. 1552 dated 9 September 2025; Decisions Nos. 1556 and 1557 dated 15 September 2025; Decision No. 1559 dated 22 September 2025.

4. Conclusion

In 2025, UEH continued implementing and improving wastewater discharge quality management based on the Green University Practice Regulations, relevant environmental standards and on-campus testing results. The main priorities were reviewing operating procedures and wastewater testing data, as well as maintaining the technical conditions of treatment systems at Nguyen Van Linh Campus and Building B1.
By linking water-quality standards with monitoring and infrastructure management, UEH demonstrates its efforts to control discharge sources, prevent pollution and reduce risks to ecosystems, aquatic organisms and public health, contributing to SDG 14 – Life Below Water.