Low water flows in Mekong ‘behind lack of clean water’

Low water flows in the Mekong River are to blame for the lack of clean water supply in Phnom Penh and surrounding areas, a senior official said while also expressing optimism that the issue might be resolved next year when several clean water facilities are slated for completion.

Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) director-general Long Naro said at a press conference on March 1 that the record-low levels of water in the Mekong River in the last five years have been identified as one of the main causes of the clean water shortage plaguing the capital and Takhmao town in neighbouring Kandal province.

Naro noted that water had recently dropped up to 1m below the river’s usual levels. The PPWSA had determined that the river water must reach 3m during the dry season to enable the pumping of water to its treatment facility, where it can then be supplied to households. At the moment, the water level stands at just 2m, he said.