The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Cambodia signed a $32 million grant agreement with the government on Monday to expand Takhmao town’s water supply system.

In a joint press release, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and JICA said the project would improve access to safe drinking water through the construction of a water supply facility with a treatment capacity of 30,000 cubic metres per day.

The project will also involve intake and raw water transmission, and distribution facilities. A SCADA (supervisory control and data) system will also be included in the operation and maintenance with Japanese know-how and experience.

Senior JICA official Say Bora said on Monday that clean water is currently supplied to Takhmao from Phnom Penh so this would be an improvement.

He said the project will not only distribute clean water to Takhmao and surrounding areas but reduce the demand on Phnom Penh’s water supply. The project is expected to take 29 months to complete.

“Since 1993 until now, the grant represents the 12th such project that JICA has funded in Cambodia in the water supply sector, and it is the sixth to support the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA),” Bora said.

He said many water facilities have been constructed in different provinces, including Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat, Sihanoukville, Kampot, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom and Phnom Penh.

JICA said the project will significantly help the government to achieve its water supply service target of 100 per cent in urban areas by 2025.