The current standard is developed for the purpose of implementing the Law of the People's Republic of China on Environmental Protection, preventing and controlling environmental pollution, improving environmental quality, facilitating the development of environmental information, establishing and improving information-based environment standard system, providing technical support to handling and exchange of environmental information and standardizing the code for waste water discharge direction. The current standard identifies categories and codes for waste water discharge direction. Discharge of waste water includes industrial effluent, sewage, sewage treatment facilities, landfill and composting facilities, incineration facilities and hazardous waste disposing facilities. The current standard is applicable to the collection, exchange and processing of the information relevant to waste water discharge as well as the management of development of environmental information system. 　 The current standard is released for the first time in China.

 Codes for Wastewater Discharge Direction(HJ 523—2009)