Efforts to provide clean water during the summer

(Baonghean) - In the context of prolonged hot weather significantly affecting the supply of raw water to the water treatment plant, Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited has implemented many solutions to ensure sufficient water supply to meet the clean water needs of the people during these summer months.

The raw water source for the Hung Vinh Water Treatment Plant in Vinh City is primarily extracted from the Dao River in Nam Dan. However, the prolonged drought has significantly impacted the water level of the Dao River. Since May, the water level of the Dao River (at Cau Muou Bridge) has repeatedly dropped to -0.3m below the designed low water level. In response to this situation, the Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited has undertaken dredging and clearing of the water flow at the raw water intake pits of the Cau Muou and Cau Duoc pumping stations, while also reinforcing the barrier system and preventing oil and grease from being discharged into the river by boats.

Mr. Le Duc Thang, Deputy Director of Hung Vinh Water Plant, said: “To meet the raw water needs for the plant's operation, the Cau Muou and Cau Duoc pumping stations must supply more than 60,000 m3 of raw water per day. Due to the depletion of water sources in the rivers, we have renovated the suction lines of the pumps, such as connecting an additional 30 cm of pipe to the suction lines of the four raw water collection pits at Cau Muou. This has maximized the pumping capacity of the raw water pumps when the river water level is low.”

Operating the Cau Muou - Nam Dan raw water pumping station.

The Cau Muou pumping station is the source of raw water for the Hung Vinh Water Treatment Plant, so protecting the water source is a top priority for all relevant authorities and sectors. The unit, along with local authorities in Nam Dan and Hung Nguyen districts, regularly organizes awareness campaigns to encourage people not to litter indiscriminately into the river, to work together to protect the water source, and to place warning signs in the raw water intake area.

Mr. Pham Viet Phung, Head of the Cau Muou Pumping Station, said: “In the past, the local government and people have cooperated very well in protecting water sources and limiting the indiscriminate dumping of garbage into the river, contributing positively to ensuring water supply. Currently, due to low river levels, the station always has to adjust the pumping schedule to suit the actual situation of depleted water sources. With these practical actions, the Cau Muou Pumping Station promptly provides raw water for the Hung Vinh Water Treatment Plant to operate.”

To promptly meet customers' water needs during the summer, and alongside efforts to secure raw water sources for the plant's operation, Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited has also developed a plan to provide clean water to the people. This includes increasing water supply operating hours, ensuring 24-hour water supply. Water supply is regulated and zoned appropriately to ensure uniform water distribution across areas. A dedicated production shift team is in place to receive information and handle water supply system incidents, even on holidays and weekends. Mobile booster pumps are deployed to increase water pressure in suburban areas far from the water plant, such as Hung Loc, Hung Dung, and Trung Do. An additional local booster pump station has been installed on Nguyen Duy Trinh Street, Hung Dung Ward.

Despite numerous efforts to promptly meet the clean water needs of the people (currently, there are over 70,000 customers in Vinh City and surrounding areas using clean water), in recent times, some areas in Vinh City such as Xuan Bac and Xuan Nam wards, Hung Dung ward, Ben Thuy ward, and Trung Do ward have experienced localized water shortages. The unit has applied a timely water supply method using specialized water tankers, which has been highly appreciated by the people.

One of the highly effective management and operational measures, especially in water supply during the summer months, implemented by Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited is the successful application of the high-tech Scanda management system with modern computer equipment. This allows the company to monitor water pressure throughout the entire water supply pipeline network, thereby proactively regulating and providing timely water supply to customers in the area. A significant contribution to ensuring timely water supply for customers this summer is the completed and operational water supply project for the Vinh suburbs and industrial zones (in Nam Dan).

Currently, with the connection and integration of water from the Cau Bach Water Treatment Plant (a project supplying water to the Vinh suburbs and industrial zones), the Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited provides 500-600 m3 of water daily to supplement the Northeast area of ​​Vinh City. A key concern for the Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited is monitoring water quality from the source to the customer. The company has invested in building a modern laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art equipment capable of testing 15 indicators (criterion A) and conducting 24/7 monitoring and inspection of treated water quality. Simultaneously, they collaborate with the Provincial Preventive Medicine Center to regularly collect water samples for testing, thereby managing and adjusting the quality of clean water…

This summer, the unit is paying close attention to ensuring the quality of drinking water. Along with strengthening industrial hygiene practices such as flushing and cleaning drainage systems, discharging sludge according to regulations, they are also increasing the amount of preliminary chlorination before introducing raw water for treatment (to enhance safety in disinfection, treatment of organic compounds, and odor removal...).

To ensure clean water quality, the Hung Vinh Water Treatment Plant recently boldly introduced PAC (Polyaluminum Chloride) as a water treatment chemical to replace traditional aluminum sulfate. While this method increases costs, it guarantees stable and clean water quality for the people.

To facilitate investment projects in line with the province's investment promotion and attraction policy, the Nghe An Water Supply Company Limited recently signed a preliminary contract to use raw water supplied by Tuan Loc Construction Joint Stock Company, which invested in a raw water system directly drawing water from the Lam River in 2016. Thus, with a stable and high-quality raw water supply, the company will be greatly assisted in fulfilling its task of providing clean water to the people of Vinh City and surrounding areas, as well as industrial zones.

Hoang Vinh