Putting more efforts to control water resources

Apart from industrial parks development, Binh Duong province has also built up residential areas. Therefore, water resource is one of the important factors to ensure sustainable living and economic development.

Abundant water resource, but...

Binh Duong province has an ample water resource, which is an advantage to attract investment. According to Water Resource and Minerals Office under provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Binh Duong is surrounded by three rivers of Saigon River, Dong Nai River, and Be River. These rivers supply water for activities of transport, agriculture, fisheries, irrigation, tourism, especially manufacturing.

The province has 4 main aquifers having depth from 20m to more than 100m; total potential groundwater reserves is about 2,180 million m³/day; total amount of surface water could be exploited from large rivers and lakes is approximately 27.5 billion m³/year.

Water from wells is contaminated.

However, industrialization, urbanization process is occurring rapidly while water supply infrastructure has not been sufficient, causing water pollution. After observation, surface water of Saigon River, Dong Nai, Thi Tinh River is contaminated by COD, BOD5, and NH4+, NO3+. Since 2003, groundwater of the south Binh Duong has been shrinking, especially in industrial and urban areas, like: Song Than in Di An town, and An Phu in Thuan An town. Shallow groundwater is contaminated by NH4+, NO3+.

To protect clean water resource, authorities have promoted propaganda in order to increase people's awareness of the importance of clean water to life to be more careful in behaviors and actions. The province has increased investment in water supply system for urban and industrial areas. As a result, currently, 90% urban areas and 95% industrial parks are supplied clean water; 97% industrial parks have sewage processing and drainage systems.

Protecting water resource

Mr. Le Van Tan, Head of Water Resource and Minerals Office under provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said, Binh Duong is one of the first provinces investigating, conducting statistics, filling useless wells to protect groundwater resource. Since 2009, nearly 3,500 damaged wells were filled. The province also specified restricted areas for groundwater extraction, strengthened groundwater observing system, collected contaminated groundwater samples at industrial zones, like: An Phu (Thuan An town), An Tay, An Dien, Tru Van Tho, Chanh Phu Hoa (Ben Cat town)… In addition, the province has expanded the common observing system to protect water resource, which helped to detect promptly quality, capacity deteriorations to have timely solutions.

Total exploited water amount in the province is about 623.000m³/day; total exploited groundwater is about361.600m³/day, accounting for 58%; total volume of wastewater being discharged into the water is about 355.000m³/day. Obviously, the water resource is at risk of contamination due to receiving a large volume of wastewater. Therefore, Mr. Tan said, to remedy water pollution, Department of Natural Resources and Environment put forward some solutions, such as: implementing the project “Water resource planning in Binh Duong province in period 2015-2025 until 2035 "; strengthen inspection and post-inspection after license to utilize water resource and discharge wastewater; severe penalties for the violations, diversifying propaganda, education on water resource in order to attract the attention and participation of the community in water resource management and protection. 

Reported by Hong, Hien – Translated by Ngoc Huynh