Residents of Phnom Penh will no longer face water shortages from late February, as daily supply capacity is set to exceed one million cubic metres, according to the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA).

Long Naro, director-general of PPWSA, stated that the current demand in the capital is approximately 820,000 cubic metres per day, a figure provided by the Ministry of Information.

The announcement was made during the groundbreaking ceremony of a project to connect the master water system along Win-Win Boulevard, extending from the Prek Pnov district to National Road (NR) 4 on January 29. 

Workers connect water supply system in Phnom Penh. PPWSA

Naro attributed the availability of sufficient clean water to the construction of the Bakheng water treatment plant, approved by the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and the board of directors of the PPWSA in February 2023.

The first phase of the project was completed in May last year, while the second phase is scheduled for completion in late February, bring the system up to its new capability. 

“Although the supply capacity will surpass one million cubic metres, challenges persist in the distribution channels, an issue that the authority is actively addressing,” he explained.

In recent years, Phnom Penh residents have experienced water shortages during the dry season, leading the authority to deploy water tanks in several locations experiencing severe shortages.

Authority distributed clean water to people in Dangkor district in 2019. FN