"Clogging" at the centralized wastewater treatment plant of Thap - Hong - Ky Industrial Park

Built... left there

Through the hotline, people in Dien Chau district reported that although it is the only industrial park to date that has invested in building a centralized wastewater treatment system, the wastewater treatment plant at Thap - Hong - Ky industrial park has not yet been able to come into operation.

The centralized wastewater treatment plant at Thap - Hong - Ky Industrial Park has been abandoned for many years. Photo: Pham Bang

Arriving at this industrial park wastewater treatment plant in late December 2018, it was easy to see the bleak and desolate scene. The entire operating building, chemical house, wastewater treatment tank system... had been built and completed.

Mr. Tuan, the person hired to look after this station, said that he was recently hired to look after and protect the property here with a salary of 2.5 million VND/month. Because he has no job, he uses the yard and grounds of the station to raise chickens and grow vegetables and bananas.

According to research, in June 2009, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 3096 approving the investment project to build technical infrastructure for the Dien Thap small industrial park, Dien Chau district (now Thap - Hong - Ky Industrial Park) with the Dien Chau District People's Committee as the investor, with a total investment of more than 51 billion VND, capital from the district budget and contributions from enterprises.

In 2010, Dien Chau district approved the technical design and cost estimate for the Dien Thap small industrial park infrastructure project with drainage and wastewater treatment. The total approved capital was over 6.1 billion VND. The project's goal is to meet the wastewater drainage needs of the small industrial park in Dien Thap.

The wastewater treatment tank system has not been officially operational since its trial run in 2012. Photo: Pham Bang

After completing the construction, at the end of 2012, this station was put into trial operation to measure the output to meet the standards. Since then, this station has not been used as originally intended by the project. The system of water tanks that have not been operated for many years has become covered with scum and moss.

Currently, this industrial park has 30 enterprises investing in construction and operating in production and trading of galvanized steel pipes, steel billets, roofing sheets, steel, industrial sewing, fertilizers...

Although a modern centralized environmental treatment system with a capacity of 300 m3/day has been built, because it is not yet in operation, the wastewater from the factories has not been thoroughly treated before being discharged into the environment. People living around the industrial park are suffering from pollution from exhaust gas and wastewater.

In the province, there are 12 filled industrial parks, 39 industrial parks have established and approved detailed plans. Of the 8 industrial parks that have invested in wastewater treatment systems, only Thap - Hong - Ky industrial park (Dien Chau) has a centralized treatment system, the remaining 7 industrial parks only have biological lake systems.

How does it work?

This is a problem that Dien Chau district has been struggling with for many years but has yet to find a solution. Although the project has been completed, the connection of the system with factories and businesses in the industrial park has not been possible.

The wastewater treatment tank system has not been used for many years and has become covered with scum and moss. Photo: Pham Bang

Mr. Hoang Van Ba ​​- Director of the Construction Investment Project Management Board of Dien Chau district said that to operate the wastewater treatment plant, there needs to be a management board.

“It cannot be assigned to the commune for management because the functions, tasks and expertise of the commune officials are not sufficient to undertake the task. The district also cannot sign a labor contract to assign the task of operating the station…”, Mr. Ba wondered.

Another problem, according to Mr. Ba, is the funding issue to operate the station. “According to the project, to operate the station, nearly 600 million is needed per year. If we divide it equally among 30 businesses, will they agree? If we collect more, there must be a mechanism to collect it, and there must be a document regulating the state. But currently, those issues have not been resolved, so the treatment station still has to “sit still,” Mr. Ba said.

The station's caretaker uses the grounds to raise chickens and grow vegetables and bananas. Photo: Pham Bang

Admitting that there was waste in building for many years without being able to operate, Mr. Ha Xuan Quang - Standing Deputy Secretary of Dien Chau District Party Committee said that the district had also searched for documents related to the establishment of the executive board but was facing difficulties due to the lack of specific guidance documents.

Since 2015, the district has developed three plans to operate the wastewater treatment plant, but they have been stuck with personnel and cost issues, so they have not been able to be implemented.