Journalists investigating areas flagged by public complaints, including towns in Xuzhou and Xiangfen County in Linfen, have uncovered severe flaws in rural sewage treatment infrastructure. These findings reveal that some sewage stations are left idle while untreated waste continues to flow directly into waterways, and certain projects are disconnected from local realities.

A notable example is the placement of pipe networks on embankments, while a village of just one hundred residents was given an oversized treatment facility that has been running empty for extended periods. Poor construction quality has led to ground collapses, sewage wells overflowing, and flooded roads, significantly disrupting the daily lives of villagers.

In Shiduan Village, Tongshan District, Xuzhou, residents reported that the sewage facilities not only fail to treat waste but also cause frequent overflows and backflows, making their living conditions worse. Even on dry days, sewage wells in the village continuously leak and emit foul odors. To reduce the stench and curb the spread of waste, villagers have resorted to sealing the well openings with cement, but the leakage persists.

An on-site inspection by reporters found a sewage well filled with black, malodorous wastewater about two meters deep, which is notably higher than the inlet pipes of villagers' homes. This elevated water level creates backpressure that blocks household sewage from flowing into the public network, and instead, the network's waste reverses and floods back into homes. With no other option for drainage, residents have rerouted their sewage directly into local ditches, completely undermining the project's intended purpose of centralized waste management.

Additionally, the village shows widespread signs of uneven road settlement, cracks, and surface collapses along the sewage pipe routes, which residents attribute to substandard workmanship that has also damaged pre-existing roads. After reaching a consensus, villagers brought in excavators to dig up the collapsed sections and discovered that the underground pipes were surrounded by raw soil with no gravel backfill, a clear deviation from standard construction practices.

In Dongshan Village, also in Tongshan District, the situation is similarly dire. Because the local sewage facility cannot collect or process waste properly, residents are discharging domestic sewage into a nearby river and pond. The pond's surface is now coated with duckweed and trash, and the water has turned black with a strong stench when disturbed. Most households in Dongshan Village lack proper drainage channels, leading to indiscriminate sewage discharge on the ground.

Compounding the issue, villagers are charged a sewage treatment fee as part of their tap water bill, though they see no corresponding service. According to the Tap Water Pricing Standards for Rural Tongshan District, Xuzhou, residents pay 0.35 yuan per ton for sewage treatment. Mobile billing records show this new charge was introduced starting in March 2025. A staff member at Maocun Water Supply Service Station admitted, "Our water company is also puzzled, as the sewage treatment fee is redirected elsewhere."