Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng requested that Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) director-general Long Naro build a new water treatment plant in the Prek Thnaot River area to the west of the capital in order to distribute clean water to people in three districts there.

Sreng made this request at a meeting with Naro – who was reporting on the current water supply situation in Phnom Penh – on November 16, according to the municipal administration.

Sreng said he wanted the PPWSA to set up a new water treatment plant in the Prek Thnaot delta in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. He said it was important to construct the water treatment plant as soon as possible because the need was urgent.

The water treatment plant would take water from Prek Thnaot and treat it in order to provide an increased supply of clean water to the capital.

The governor also instructed his deputy Nuon Pharath to coordinate with the local authorities to investigate water pricing for factory workers living in rented units who should be receiving special discounted rates according to government policy.

He suggested that they speak with the landlords and ensure that they are not overcharging their tenants for clean water. Tenants should only be paying what the government charges for the water with no added fees or surcharges from the landlords.

Municipal Hall spokesman Met Meas Pheakdey said on November 17 that he did not have any further details at this point regarding the construction of the new water treatment plant.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said earlier this year that Phnom Penh currently needs about 750,000 cubic metres of clean water per day, but the water treatment plant capacity for the capital can only produce 600,000 m3 per day, indicating a daily shortfall of 150,000 m3 of treated water.

“The demand for clean water in Phnom Penh is increasing every day, therefore we need to try to keep developing the production capacity on an ongoing basis to keep up with the demand,” he said.