The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) has signed a contract with KKKCT Consortium to build a new water treatment plant in Kandal province’s Takhmao town with a grant from Japan of almost $30 million.

The signing ceremony was held on March 7 in the presence of PPWSA director-general Long Naro, Ministry of Industry secretary of state Oum Sotha and Okazaki Koichi, chief technical adviser of Nihon Suido Consultant Co, Ltd.

Naro said the construction project was scheduled to begin in June and would be completed in December 2024. KKKCT Consrtium would handle the construction, with oversight by Koichi’s consultancy.

Naro called on the public to be economical with their water use during the upcoming dry season, saying that those in the suburbs may suffer water shortages if those in the city centre were not careful with their usage.

Sotha said the project will produce 30,000 cubic metres of clean water a day to meet the needs of residents in the south and east of Phnom Penh and Takhmao town.

He added that the project was a priority, and had been funded through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

He believed that the project will successfully end the water shortages in Phnom Penh and Takhmao from 2024, especially when it was considered that the first Bakheng water treatment plant would also be coming online.

In order to meet the government’s stated goal of all people having access to clean water and sanitation services by 2025, the PPWSA had cooperated closely with JICA to review and update the 3rd Phase of its 2021-2003 Master Plan. It had prioritised the expansion of its production system capabilities, he added.