Nghe An: Establishing a working group to resolve water supply activities in Vinh city and vicinity

In Document No. 5640/UBND-CN, many press agencies recently reported that Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, although the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision on clean water consumption price including raw water costs taken directly from Lam River, pumped water from Dao River for production and supply to Vinh City and surrounding areas. The quality of domestic water supplied to people was not guaranteed, causing confusion and anxiety among the people.

Document No. 5640/UBND-CN dated August 9, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee. Photo: Nhat Lan

Implementing the direction of the Provincial Party Standing Committee in Official Dispatch No. 8454-CV/TU dated August 6, 2019 on handling related to water supply activities in Vinh city and surrounding areas; to ensure health safety for people and resolve related issues, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requests:

Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company stops taking raw water from Dao River to produce domestic water at Cau Bach and Hung Vinh Water Plants; Takes raw water directly from Lam River (raw water costs have been fully calculated in the clean water consumption price in Decision No. 41/2018/QD-UBND dated October 2, 2018 of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee) to produce clean domestic water for Vinh city and surrounding areas.

Dao River, where Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company operates its activities to exploit and use domestic water. Photo: Dao Tuan

Song Lam Water Supply Company Limited supplies raw water from Lam River to Cau Bach and Hung Vinh Water Plants, ensuring sufficient flow and capacity to produce domestic water.

The Office of the Provincial People's Committee advised on the establishment of a Working Group headed by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to direct the resolution of issues related to water supply activities in Vinh city and surrounding areas.

Location of the Dao River water pumping station for Cau Bach Water Plant. Photo: Dao Tuan

Also in Document No. 5640/UBND-CN, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee assigned specific tasks to relevant departments and branches to prepare the working content of the Working Group.

Notably, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Department of Health will study and install automatic monitoring systems for raw water and domestic water sources; the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will direct competent authorities to monitor and not allow Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to take raw water from Dao River to produce domestic water; the Department of Science and Technology will preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to inspect the processes, machinery, equipment, and treatment technology of Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company and Song Lam Water Supply One Member Co., Ltd.

Regarding the issues of water supply activities in Vinh City and surrounding areas, Nghe An Newspaper has reported in a series of articles "Eliminating the "local" nature in clean water production and business. Photo: Huu Quan

Regarding the Department of Finance, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested: Grasp public opinion information on water prices, on that basis propose to the Provincial People's Committee a method of calculating water prices that is closest to reality, in accordance with legal regulations. Study and propose whether it is necessary to audit related units, review the equitization process of Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited...