CAN THO – Can Tho City plans to invest more than VND1.02 trillion in rural water supply projects for its coastal areas, with priority given to former Soc Trang Province, during the 2026–2030 period, according to the city’s Department of Agriculture and Environment.
The department is preparing to submit the investment proposal to the Can Tho People’s Committee. The plan focuses on rural and coastal areas of former Soc Trang Province, which is now part of Can Tho City.
The department has been working with Aquaone Hau Giang Water JSC on a plan to supply treated water to rural water systems in the area. The proposal involves building transmission and distribution pipelines to connect with Aquaone’s existing network and purchasing water through the company’s master meters.
To implement this option, about 700 kilometers of pipelines would need to be built. This includes nearly 100 kilometers of main transmission lines and more than 600 kilometers of branch pipelines to cover communes and wards with existing rural water systems.
According to preliminary estimates by the Department of Agriculture and Environment, investment in the transmission pipeline system alone would cost around VND6 trillion and take many years to complete.
Given these constraints and proposals from the Center for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation of Can Tho City, the department plans to submit a list of priority rural clean water projects to the city government, focusing on the former Soc Trang area.
The proposal includes 22 large-scale, centralized rural water supply projects serving multiple communes. The projects would use surface water sources and expand pipeline networks. Total investment for the 2026–2030 period is estimated at more than VND1.02 trillion.
Some projects involve building transmission and distribution pipelines to receive water from Aquaone Hau Giang to supply coastal areas such as Tran De and Vinh Chau.
The department reported that clean water supply in Can Tho’s coastal areas remains under pressure. Even during the rainy season, water supply from the former Soc Trang rural water system is weak and insufficient. Households at the end of pipeline networks may lack water entirely.
The report also noted that water quality is unstable in some areas, with water described as unclear, yellowish, and saline.
To meet demand, the department estimated that pipeline networks would need to be expanded across 42 communes and wards in the former Soc Trang Province area. The total length of new pipelines could reach about 1.372 million meters, serving around 43,202 households.
