International experts share experience in water supply system management and solutions for HCM City.
(Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNS/VNA) –ܫ Ho Chi Minh City needs a master plan for 30 years to make sure that investments in watersupply dovetail with the overall long-term plan, experts have said.

The master plan should give directions andguidance and be implemented with flexibility, said Sytze Jarigsma, formerresident project manager of the Utility Support Programme funded by the Dutchembassy.

The plans allows application of newtechnology if available and welcomes improvements based on newer insights, hetold a conference last week on international and domestic experiencein research and application for water supply recommendations for HCM City forthe 2019-2035 period.

Raw water development needs urgentconsideration, he said.

Currently, there are three water sourcesfor the city, the Dong Nai and Sai Gon rivers and groundwater, he said.

The Dong Nai river is a good source for probablyanother 10 years or so, but after that climate change is expected to affectsalinity too much, he said.

The Sai Gon river is already a good source that has been affected by high salinityand pollution, he said.

Groundwater abstractions would be phasedout soon to limit ground subsidence, he predicted.

Raw water intakes at existing upstream Dau Tieng and Tri An lakes would beoptions for the city, he said.

It would be an achievement if non-revenuewater or water losses could be brought down to 20 percent, and not much morecould be expected, he said.

In the long term, new pipes would beinstalled and bad ones would be removed, resulting in reduction in waterlosses, he said.

Paul Smith of the Australian Water Association (AWA)said the greatest risks to consumers of drinking water are pathogenicmicro-organisms.

Protection of water sources and treatmentare of paramount importance and cheaper than treatment, he said.

A drinking water system must have andcontinuously maintain robust multiple barriers commensurate with the level ofpotential contamination, he said.

Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said rapid urbanisation has put pressure on the city’swater infrastructure, which is ageing.

It is a great challenge for the city tomaintain water supply and keep pace with the economic growth, he said.

It has made huge efforts to accomplish thetarget of supplying clean water to 100 percent of households, he said.

But the city is in the downstream area ofthe Dong Nai river and Sai Gon river, and is affected by what happensupstream, he said.

Climate change and pollution have worsenedwater supply, he said. “The city is urgently developing a projectfor drinking water supply.”

It brought down water losses to 23.3 percentfrom 26 percent in 2017 and 30.9 percent in 2015. Its daily water supply total capacity is 2.4 million cubic metres.

🅠 According to the Department ofConstruction, the city will upgrade 1,430km of old pipelines and install morenew pipelines by 2025./.