Building begins on largest water plant in Viet Nam

Construction of Viet Nam's largest water supply plant, the 600,000 m3/d-capacity Song Da plant in northern Hoa Binh province, began on 24 April 2004.

The US$ 161-m project is part of a new water system that will supply the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh, the Red River Delta Province of Ha Tay and Ha Noi. The Song Da plant is 70-km southwest of Ha Noi, in Phu Minh commune, Ky Son District.

When phase one is completed in early 2006, the plant will supply Ha Noi with 200,000 m3/d and a number of industrial zones and cities west of Ha Noi with 100,000 m3/d of water a day. By 2010, the capacity will rise to 400,000 to 450,000 m3/d water for Ha Noi and 150,000 to 200,000 m3/d for a series of cities and industrial zones west of Ha Noi.

The plant is expected to raise its water supply capacity to 1.2 million m3/d by 2020.

One advantage of the new water plant is that it will use water from the Da River to provide fresh water to a large region running short of subterranean water resources.

The sole investor of the project is the Viet Nam Construction, Import and Export Corporation.