Hanoi ensures safe water for all local residents

The Hanoi Department of Construction has completed the project for water supply in the capital city to 2030, with a vision to 2050 to ensure clean water for local residents.

In 2020, the department has put surface water purifiers into operation, supplying enough clean water to people living downtown and rural districts.

Specifically, in 2020, 67.6% of people in rural Hanoi had access to safe water (an increase of about 3% year-on-year) while the water grid has reached 78% of the city's population.

A facility to supply clean water in Me Linh, a suburban district of Hanoi. Photo: Tung Nguyen

Hanoi continues to pay attention to expand the clean water distribution network and take full capacity of surface water purifiers already in operation.

In the past time, Hanoi city has seen rapid socio-economic development and urbanization, which lead to increasing demand for clean water, according to the department.

The demand for water in the time ahead is predicted to grow considerably, so it is necessary to recalculate the water demand and improve the water supply to meet the people’s demand. The improvement must be in line with the planning for the capital’s socio-economic development.

The whole city’s demand for water is predicted to rise to 2,766 million cu.m per day in 2030 and 3,393 million cu.m per day in 2050.

In order to meet the city's water demand in the period to 2030 with the vision to 2050, both surface and underground water sources will be exploited.

However, the department added that the purification plants using underground water will see their capacity reduced and be converted into booster pump stations and water reserve in favor of surface water plants. The underground water plants will be phased out from 2050 on.

Surface water sources replacing underground water sources will come from Da, Red and Duong rivers.

Earlier, the Hanoi Department of Construction set the target to supply tap water for 50 communes with 120,000 households in suburban districts, increasing the proportion of the households having access to safe water to 85%.

At the same time, the department will assess and submit more water projects to the municipal People's Committee for approval. For areas unreachable by the city’s water grid, the department will build water supply works according to the cluster model.

The city strives to reach 100% of people in suburban areas to have access to clean water by 2025.