People panic because tap water has a 'strange' color in Quy Hop

(Baonghean.vn) - "My family has been using tap water for more than 10 years. But recently, the water has often turned yellow and cloudy, and we have to drain it for a long time before we can use it" - a Quy Hop resident was upset.

Ms. Tran Thi Minh in Block 4, Quy Hop town, spends between 130,000 and 150,000 VND per month on tap water. However, several times a month, her family's tap water becomes cloudy and has a strange color.

"My family has been using tap water for more than 10 years. But recently, the water has often turned yellow and cloudy. We have to drain it for a long time before we can use it," Ms. Minh shared.

Pumping and discharging system of the settling tank. Photo: Huy Nham

Immediately after receiving feedback from the people, on October 23, 2017, Quy Hop district issued an urgent dispatch "Assigning inspection and handling of information related to water quality of Quy Hop water plant". Specifically, assigning the Department of Economy - Infrastructure, Natural Resources - Environment, Health, and District Medical Center to work and verify feedback from the people; report the results to the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee and the District People's Committee before October 30, 2017.

Explaining the reason why the water is yellow and cloudy, with lots of sediment such as iron slag that has not been filtered thoroughly, according to Mr. Nguyen Phi Hung - Head of Quy Hop Water Supply Station, is because the unit is repairing and maintaining the pipeline; the sediment and iron slag from the cast iron pipes used for many years have rusted through the pipeline into the clean water system of the people.

"Currently, the factory manages and operates over 15,000km of level 1 and level 2 pipelines and 25,000km of level 3 pipelines. Of these, over 12,000m of level 1 iron pipelines are old and have not been replaced, causing the water to be cloudy, purple, and rusty," Mr. Hung added.

Tap water in Quy Hop is cloudy when discharged. Photo: Thu Huong

It is known that Quy Hop town clean water plant was built and put into use in 2001 with an operating capacity of 15,000 m3/day, supplying water to over 2,400 households and the Thung Khuoc industrial park of Quy Hop town.

The process is operated according to the standards of water source taken from Nam Huong River, pumped into the mixing tank through 4 compartments and sprayed with alum chemicals, put into the reaction tank and then through the settling tank, continuing through the rainwater system to remove iron and arsenic. After treatment, the clean water is divided through the filter into the storage tank and at the same time added chlorine for disinfection and then led to the pumping system of the pipeline network to serve consumers.

However, in reality at the factory, the entire water treatment system does not have a roof.

It is known that the People's Committee of the town and Quy Hop district have repeatedly sent written requests, worked with the water plant and requested Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to urgently fix and replace the old iron pipeline system, which does not ensure water supply in the area, but the situation of cloudy and strangely colored water has not been resolved.

Huy Nham