HCM CITY - Construction began yesterday on a new water treatment plant, which is expected to reduce the water shortfall in suburban districts and industrial parks in HCM City.

The Water and Environment Joint-Stock Company (WACO), which specialises in engineering, procurement and construction of water and wastewater treatment plants, will build the plant.

The VND216 billion (US$13.5 million) water treatment plant and its 13 km-long pipeline system is part of the Kenh Dong Water Supply System project in Thuong Hamlet, Tan Thong Hoi Commune, Cu Chi District.

The Kenh Dong Water Supply Joint-Stock Company provided the funds for the plant.

Major components include a raw water intake pumping station, a filter tank, a 20,000 cubic metre reinforced concrete reservoir, and a water pumping station.

Upon completion by September next year, the plant will treat raw water taken from Tay Ninh Province’s Dau Tieng Lake through Kenh Dong Canal, with the capacity of 200,000 cubic metres per day.

The plant, which is a major component of the city’s water supply investment and development strategy, was scheduled to provide clean water for industrial parks Tan Phu Trung, Duc Hoa and Xuyen A Song Tan in Long An Province, as well as residential areas in HCM City, including Districts 7, Binh Tan, Thu Duc, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh.

Pham Tra, general director of WACO, said the water treatment technology from the Swedish-based Nordic Water Company would help save energy and working space, and reduce investment costs by 15 per cent.

Tra said his company had won another tender package from the Sai Gon Water Supply Company to develop a secondary VND95 billion ($5.9 million) network receiving treated water from Kenh Dong Water Treatment Plant. The project will be completed in six months. - VNS