River Levels So Low That Saigon Water Plant Can Only Draw Freshwater During Low Tides

[hatrack]

HCM CITY — The water level in the Dong Nai River, which supplies HCM City and 11 provinces, is dwindling, allowing seawater to encroach and causing a shortage of potable water for pumping plants situated along its basin.

Truong Khac Hoanh, deputy general director of the Thu Duc Water Plant, said the river was more than 20cm lower than at the same time last year. As a result, seawater has begun to enter two months earlier than normal.

His plant only drew water from the river during low tide when fresh water flows towards the sea, he said. The Binh An Water Plant too has stopped drawing water from the river for four to six hours a day during high tides.

The pumping stations warned that if the water level in the river continued to fall they would find it hard to supply water to households since their technologies cannot treat saltwater.

EDIT

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Miscellany/197680/Water-levels-drop-in-Dong-Nai-River.html