Sponge city construction can be popularized not only in new residential communities but also effectively applied in the renovation of old communities, using new technologies to achieve no water accumulation during light rain and no waterlogging during heavy rain, while also alleviating the heat island effect and making the community environment cooler and more livable. The reporter learned from the Hefei Public Resource Trading Center that the pilot project for sponge community renovation at Hangxin Jiayuan is about to launch, becoming an important part of the third phase of comprehensive management of the Chaohu Lake basin.

Hangxin Jiayuan Community in Shushan District is located in the Shiwuli River basin, and the water environment treatment work of the Shiwuli River has included Hangxin Jiayuan in the pilot sponge community renovation in Hefei.

Hangxin Jiayuan in Nanqi Subdistrict is located southeast of the intersection of Wangjiang Road and Shitai Road and is an old community. The pilot sponge community area is approximately 36,907 square meters (excluding Wan'an Middle School). The main renovation contents include rainwater and sewage diversion, underlying surface renovation, rainwater storage and reuse engineering, low-impact development facilities, and environmental improvement sub-items. After completion, it will alleviate waterlogging in the community, eliminate mixed connections of rainwater and sewage, reduce runoff pollution, achieve resource utilization of rainwater, and improve the living environment.

By building a batch of permeable and filtering facilities in the community, such as sand-based permeable bricks and sand-based filter trench covers, the treatment effects of no water accumulation during light rain, no waterlogging during heavy rain, and no black odorous water bodies can be achieved after completion. In the past, Hangxin Jiayuan Community had problems such as mixed connections of rainwater and sewage (dry-weather sewage flow of about 50 m3/d), serious initial rainwater runoff pollution, and low rainwater resource utilization rate. The adoption of new technologies can meet the assessment requirements for sewage treatment of the Shiwuli River.

At the same time, it can also effectively alleviate the heat island effect. For example, in the past during hot summers, residents would feel stuffy and unbearable in the community without air conditioning, but felt much more comfortable in suburban areas and parks. Through the pilot sponge city construction, the environment in the community will become cooler and more environmentally friendly in the future.

After the pilot is completed, Hangxin Jiayuan Community will adopt overall planning and design combined with specially functional products and technologies to comprehensively improve the community's leisure and flood control and drainage functions and achieve resource utilization of rainwater. The reporter learned that the products and technologies to be piloted have been successfully applied in projects such as the Olympic project, so this construction will provide guidance and a demonstration role for the subsequent renovation and construction of other old communities in Hefei.