Vinaconex Water Supply JSC (Viwasupco), which supplies potable water to 250,000 families in 10 districts in southwestern Hanoi, on October 25 offered an apology to over a million residents of the capital city after the oil contamination crisis started 17 days ago, local media reported.Viwasupco acknowledged that it has no adequate plan to respond to man-caused emergencies, which generated confusion in the initial treatment and caused alterations in the normal activities of Hanoi residents.
Viwasupco is located in Phu Minh commune, Ky Son district, Hoa Binh province. Photo: Manh Thang
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Viwasupco promised to have plans to respond to all emergencies, buy more modern equipment to monitor water safety, recruit and train staff to react to emergencies, among others.
Viwasupco currently supplies 300,000 cubic meters of water per day. Around one million people or one eighth of the capital city's residents depend on its supply.
Earlier, at a press conference on October 17, questions were raised about Viwasupco’s responsibility when the company kept supplying tap water even after knowing of it was contaminated with oil.
Asked if the company has plans to compensate those affected by the polluted water, its deputy CEO Bui Dang Khoa said: "Viwasupco is the biggest victim in this case and the company hopes the police will soon find the true culprit."
He also said that as the case was being investigated, "all decisions related to the interest of Hanoi’s citizens remain pending investigation results."
The incident began on October 8 when a truck dumped used oil into a creek which is five kilometers from the lake leading to Viwasupco’s waterworks.
Two days later, Hanoi residents detected an unpleasant and pungent odor in their tap water. Tests of the smelly water by authorities later found that the level of styrene, an organic compound that is potentially carcinogenic, was 1.3-3.6 times higher than normal.
Two suspects allegedly responsible for contaminating the source of Hanoi’s tap water were arrested on October 18, while a third suspect turned himself in on October 20.
The three men were purportedly hired to dispose of waste from a ceramic and tile factory in the northern province of Phu Tho.
The police have launched criminal proceedings into the case.
