Aiming for sustainable development in the future, SAWACO constantly identifies and finds solutions to challenges in the production and supply of clean water.
On the afternoon of November 6, at the workshop on the draft Law on Water Supply and Drainage, Deputy General Director of Saigon Water Corporation ( SAWACO ) Dang Duc Hien shared the challenges and opportunities of the water supply industry in Ho Chi Minh City.
Accordingly, SAWACO is the unit that produces and supplies water to more than 11 million people in Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, SAWACO’s production capacity reaches 2.4 million m³/day; the number of households with access to clean water is 2.5 million households (100%). The length of the water supply pipeline network is nearly 11,000 km. The water loss rate is about 13%.
150 years of formation and development, Ho Chi Minh City water industry has performed well in its task of providing safe, continuous, quality-assured water, contributing to the rapid development of the city.
In particular, SAWACO has built and developed with a long-term vision in planning for many successive generations.
Regarding water treatment technology, SAWACO improves and upgrades water treatment technology at water plants such as increasing the treatment capacity of settling tanks, renovating filter tanks; automating chemical injection; orienting environmentally friendly treatment models; researching models of circulation, reuse, and water saving.
In addition, water quality management has also been improved to meet national standards. Water laboratories meet ISO 17025 standards, deploying an online water quality monitoring system from the source, at the water treatment plant and throughout the water supply network.
SAWACO also develops a safe water supply plan for the entire company and its member units, ensuring the ability to respond and supply water in emergency situations.
Next, the company focuses on improving efficiency in system operation management such as modernizing water plants and water supply networks, through the construction of SCADA systems, NOC distribution network operation centers and is currently preparing to inaugurate the Water Supply System Overall Operation Center.
With the customer-centric perspective, SAWACO builds customer care centers, strongly develops customer service applications, electronic contracts, cashless payments, etc.
To move towards sustainable development, Mr. Dang Duc Hien said, it is necessary to identify challenges in the production and supply of clean water.
“These are also common challenges for our water supply units. Specifically, these are the requirements to ensure water security against the impacts of climate change, saltwater intrusion and increasing pollution of raw water sources. Next is the rapid urban development speed along with people’s increasing demands for quality of life, including requirements for water supply service quality. Although the water supply system has been invested in development and network separation, the entire system is still not synchronized and complete,” Mr. Hien commented.