Cambodia’s Largest Water Treatment Plant Now 60% complete
published on 08 April 2022
Construction works on Cambodia's largest water treatment plant are now 60% completed, announced the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority during a field visit with officials from the ministries of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, and of Economy and Finance, as well as representatives of AFD, the European Investment Bank and the EU. The massive infrastructural undertaking is set to markedly expand access to clean water, as Bakheng Water Production Facilities will increase water production capacity in Phnom Penh by 65%.
The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) has been facing a rapidly increasing water demand since the early 2010s, spurred by intense construction activities and population growth. After doubling its water production capacity between 2012 and 2017, PPWSA now aims to maintain its coverage of water demand and expand its service area to 100% of the city by 2025, with the joint support of AFD, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EU.
Major infrastructure project
The Bakheng Water Supply Project is the major infrastructure project defined in PPWSA’s 2016-2030 Third Master Plan. The total production capacity of the facilities will be 390,000 m3/day constructed in 2 phases. This additional capacity will be enough to meet the current shortage in Phnom Penh, which is estimated at 200,000 m3 of water per day during the peak of the dry season. Only one year after the groundbreaking ceremony presided by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, the Phase 1 of the project has already reached 60% completion and is set to be put in operation in the first quarter of 2023. The full capacity will be reached one year later, after completion of phase 2.
The project is financed by two loans worth 186.4 M$ from AFD, a 100 M$ loan from the EIB, an up to 15 M$ grant from the European Union through the Asia Investment Facility and direct investment by PPWSA worth 80 M$. The EU grant targets specifically the connection to the poor communities living in the peri-urban areas of Phnom Penh.
LONG Naro, Director General of PPWSA, stressed the importance of these partnerships for Cambodia: “In collaboration with AFD, the EIB and other development partners, PPWSA keeps renovating, rehabilitating and developing our water production facilities and networks. After completion of Bakheng water supply project in 2024, our production capacity will increase from 600,000 m3/day to 1,000,000 m3/day. The completion of this project will contribute to the achievement of the CSDG Goal 6 of the Royal Government of Cambodia which is for 100% of people living in urban areas to have access to clean drinking water by 2025.”
A long-term partnership with PPWSA
During the field visit, Yazid Bensaïd, AFD Regional Director for Southeast Asia, insisted on the impact that the project could have for the population: “AFD is pleased with the rapid progress of the Bakheng station. Our partner of more than 20 years, PPWSA, is once again demonstrating its efficiency in the implementation of large-scale works. As the dry season is already well underway and pressure on water resources is increasing, this progress is a source of hope for the inhabitants of Phnom Penh!"
AFD has been supporting PPWSA since 2002 and has financed various projects aiming to improve and increase the distribution capacity of the public utility in order to ensure access to water for a growing number of inhabitants of the city of Phnom Penh, but also the sustainability of this innovative model.
