A new project plans to use surface water from the Hong (Red) River to meet Ha Noi's growing demand for clean water. The project, which has yet to be approved, would be the first of its kind to use a water source other than the underground river that has supplied Ha Noi for nearly a century.
Dang Duong Binh, head of the environmental management division under the municipal Department for Science, Technology and Environment, said this traditional source no longer caters to growing demands. Plants such as Ngo Si Lien, Phap Van and Mai Dich are producing less water.
On average, only 53% of the city's population has a constant supply of water. Up to 85% of urban areas are well-supplied, but many wards in the new districts of Cau Giay, Tay Ho and Thanh Xuan still lack water. Only 14% of residents in city outskirts have a constant water supply. The problem is exacerbated by the overuse of water and careless exploitation of private drill wells, which has adversely affected water quality.
The new plant will be built in Thuong Cat Commune in Tu Liem District, supplying the outlying districts of Tu Liem, Thanh Tri and Thanh Xuan as well as some inner-city districts. It is expected to be completed by 2010.
The project is being conducted into two phases. During this first phase, scheduled for completion in 2005, the plant will supply 160,000m3/d at a total cost of US$ 42 million. The second phase will run between 2006 and 2010, with a capacity of 300,000 m3/d and a total cost of US $37 million. The new plant, together with other plants to be built or upgraded in the future, will supply Ha Noi with one million m3/d by 2008. It is hoped these sources will eventually supply all the city's water needs, leaving the underground source as a standby reserve.
