The ratio of treated domestic sewage was used to evaluate the sewage treatment level in China. However, due to the current situation of incomplete sewer networks and rain sewage mixed flow in drainage system, clean water from raining or river flowed into wastewater treatment plant together with wastewater, therefore, herein sewage treatment ratio was referred to the amount of how much wastewater was treated, but not the amount of treated pollutant. A new indicator was used to evaluate the domestic sewage treatment status in a southwestern city of China based on pollutant treated. The concentration of concerned pollutants in influent to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) was generally low and also fluctuated with seasons, which indicating the dilution by rainwater, river water or groundwater during the raining season. Thus, the influent data of WWTP in dry seasons was considered more suitable for the real concentration of regional domestic sewage. The sewage in our study basin was 100% treated if the traditional indicator of sewage treatment was applied. But in fact, the treatment ratios of COD_Cr, NH₃-N and TP in the whole basin were 37.50%, 36.25% and 30.14%, respectively, based on our new evaluation method. It meant more than half of the pollutants were discharged directly into the environment, which was consistent with the water quality characteristics and incomplete sewer network of the basin. In conclusion, pollutant treatment ratio is a better and more effective indicator to evaluate the level of regional sewage collection and treatment in area where the sewer network are not widespread.