For many years, during the dry season and saltwater intrusion, tens of thousands of people in the downstream districts of Long An province, including Can Duoc, Can Giuoc, and parts of Tan Tru district, have had to endure localized shortages of freshwater for daily use. To address this issue, the province is implementing water supply infrastructure solutions to meet the domestic and production needs of the population

The Nhị Thành Water Plant is accelerating the construction progress of the raw water pipeline from the Rach Chanh freshwater system (in Loi Binh Nhon commune, Tan An city) to the plant to serve the needs of the population

In reality, during the dry season and saltwater intrusion of 2024, more than 10,000 households in the downstream communes of the aforementioned areas faced localized shortages of freshwater for daily use. Socio-political organizations joined hands to transport freshwater from upstream regions to downstream areas to provide support. Mr. Le Van Tung (from Tan Quy hamlet, Tan Tap commune, Can Giuoc district) shared that his family has lived there for over 40 years but still cannot escape the lack of domestic water during the dry and saltwater intrusion season.

At the peak of the dry season and saltwater intrusion in 2024, his family had to wake up at 1-2 a.m. to pump water from two water supply stations, yet it was still insufficient for daily needs. Freshwater for production and livestock rearing was even more severely scarce. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Oanh (a small trader in Tan Tap commune) said that her family of five endured a severe freshwater shortage during the dry season and saltwater intrusion of 2024. They could only obtain about 1 m³ of freshwater every four days for use.

Immediately after the drought and saltwater intrusion subsided, the central government provided over 27 billion VND to invest in water storage equipment and upgrade eight rural water supply infrastructure projects. At the same time, businesses have begun investing in expanding and upgrading a 34.8 km clean water supply network from the water plant to the downstream areas of Can Duoc, Can Giuoc, and Tan Tru districts to serve the population during the dry season and saltwater intrusion in 2025.

Specifically, the Nhi Thanh Water Plant (in Thu Thua district) has put into operation a booster pump station in My Le My commune (Can Duoc district) with a capacity of 60,000 m³/day. Alongside this, the unit is accelerating the construction progress of a project to increase the plant’s capacity in phase 3, from 60,000 m³/day to 120,000 m³/day. The capacity expansion project is expected to be completed by June 2025.

While awaiting the completion of the new freshwater supply pipeline, Biwase Long An Water Joint Stock Company has planned to increase the production capacity of the Nhi Thanh water plant from 60,000 m³/day to 80,000 m³/day to serve the downstream population during the drought and saltwater intrusion season from now until June 2025.

However, the company is facing difficulties as it has not yet been granted permission by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to exploit clean water at a capacity of 80,000 m³/day. In response to this situation, the Department of Construction has proposed that the provincial People’s Committee direct the exploitation of an additional 70,000 m³/day of raw water to ensure a stable clean water supply. This is due to the fact that the company’s construction progress is not fast enough to address the freshwater shortage for downstream residents during the dry season and saltwater intrusion in 2025

While awaiting approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for clean water exploitation rights, Long An province has approved a policy allowing the Long An Water Supply and Drainage Joint Stock Company to sign a contract to receive raw water from the Đồng Tâm Water Plant’s raw water pumping station project (located in Tiền Giang province), which draws water from the Tiền River to serve the population.

The Long An Water Supply and Sewerage Joint Stock Company has also requested a permit to increase surface water exploitation from Bao Dinh Lake from a capacity of 10,000 m³/day to 20,000 m³/day. Alongside this, the company is upgrading the treatment cluster of the Tan An water plant to ensure it can process up to 20,000 m³/day to supply the residents of Tan An city and surrounding areas. The project is expected to be completed in February 2025 and will be put into operation once the province grants the exploitation permit.

To sustainably and long-term address the freshwater issue for domestic use and production, thereby improving the lives of residents and contributing to socio-economic development in the province, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Director of the Long An Department of Construction, stated that the Long An Provincial People’s Committee has proposed to the Prime Minister to consider adjusting the water supply plan within the provincial planning framework to better align with the actual situation.

The solutions to be implemented after the Prime Minister approves the revised plan include intensifying monitoring and inspection activities to ensure the water quality of rural water supply projects managed by enterprises and private entities; promoting awareness and providing guidance on treatment and disinfection processes to meet clean water standards; and strengthening penalties to regulate water supply facilities, requiring them to upgrade and invest in disinfection systems to achieve clean water quality.

The province continues to implement the public investment plan for rural water supply, with a focus on constructing large-scale water facilities that serve multiple communes and districts; gradually eliminating small-scale facilities with poor water quality; transitioning the management model of water supply stations from being operated by commune-level People's Committees and communities to a service-oriented model

The province emphasizes the completion of the revised Master plan of water supply for Long An province, ensuring it meets public health standards, supports social welfare, and improves quality of life; provides water supply support to the poor and especially disadvantaged areas; ensures safe water supply with consideration of climate change and water loss reduction targets; prioritizes the exploitation of surface water sources while gradually reducing the use of groundwater; increases the coverage rate of clean water supply services; and continues to promote socialization efforts, creating favorable conditions for water supply investors to develop large-scale projects with stable surface water sources that serve multiple districts and provinces

In addition, the province will issue regulations and sanctions for cases in which water supply enterprises fail to comply with the terms of the signed service agreements, providing a basis for local authorities to implement accordingly; it will also seek funding from domestic and international organizations to gradually improve the rural water supply system, moving toward the goal of safe water supply.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/giai-bai-toan-nuoc-ngot-cho-cu-dan-vung-ha%20post860247.html?gidzl=bnHvLVyxqHAR2t1R-2pN4fi2S5lbU8OGq55p2k9vW121L29Sj7k4GuPHS0soUu92rbOh2ZPG7f1-zZdH6W