###### Abstract  
Against the backdrop of China's \"dual carbon\" strategy, investigating the carbon emission characteristics and low-carbon operational status of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across regions is pivotal for achieving synergistic pollution reduction and carbon mitigation. Leveraging 2024 operational data from 98 WWTPs in eastern China--encompassing treatment volume, energy consumption, sludge production, and chemical dosages--this study refined the Assessment Standard for Carbon Mitigation in Municipal WWTPs and Technical Specification for Low-Carbon Operation of WWTPs. A novel carbon accounting framework and low-carbon performance evaluation system were subsequently developed to analyze the impacts of treatment scale, technological configuration, and load rate on carbon footprints. Key findings revealed an average carbon intensity of 0.399 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/m\({}^{3}\) for the region, with small-scale facilities (0.582 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/m\({}^{3}\)) exhibiting significantly higher emissions compared to their large-scale counterparts (0.392 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/m\({}^{3}\)). Indirect emissions constituted 62.1% of the total footprint, while chemical dosing contributed 14.2%, primarily driven by carbon sources and phosphorus removal agents. Fossil-derived CO\({}_{2}\) accounted for 4.6% of emissions. Notably, the AAO process demonstrated the lowest carbon intensity (0.370 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/m\({}^{3}\)), whereas SBR systems registered the highest (0.617 kg CO\({}_{2}\)-eq/m\({}^{3}\)). Furthermore, 25% of the assessed facilities were classified as high-emission plants. Strategic recommendations are proposed, including prioritizing AAO process optimization, implementing intelligent chemical dosing control, utilizing food wastewater as an alternative carbon source, and enhancing operational load rates, to advance synergistic environmental and carbon mitigation goals in eastern China's wastewater sector. s IEEEexample: date 08/12/xxxxxx/xxxxxx2020  
2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Systems (HST), 2020  
GHG emissions [7]. As the world's largest carbon emitter [8; 9], China has witnessed a rapid expansion in both the number and treatment capacity of WWTPs over the past decade [10; 11], with the carbon footprint of the wastewater treatment sector contributing 1-3% of national emissions [12]. Against the backdrop of China's \"dual carbon\" goals, conducting in-depth research into the GHG emission characteristics and low-carbon operational status of domestic WWTPs, alongside systematically collecting and analyzing foundational data, represents a prerequisite for formulating integrated pollutant reduction and carbon mitigation policies. Existing studies predominantly focus on individual WWTPs or macro-statistical analyses, with conspicuous gaps in systematic, high-precision carbon emission accounting for specific regions--particularly concerning chemical dosing and sludge treatment processes. [PERSON] et al. [13] employed data from the Urban Drainage Statistical Yearbook and an optimized life cycle assessment methodology integrated with IPCC guidelines to quantify the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of China's wastewater treatment sector in 2017. However, their analysis relied on 2017 statistical data, which may not reflect current operational realities, and certain parameters--such as transportation distances and sludge treatment energy consumption--were derived from assumptions or literature averages. [PERSON] et al. [14] collected operational data from 50 WWTPs in Shanghai, including treatment volume, influent quality, and energy consumption, and applied IPCC 2006 and 2019 guidelines alongside an operation-specific data integration method (ODIM) to evaluate direct and indirect GHG emissions. Their study emphasized indirect emissions from electricity consumption but excluded carbon emissions associated with chemical dosing. [PERSON] et al.