In 2002, the city carried out a World Bank-funded VND8.60 trillion project to clean and upgrade the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal that runs nearly 10 kilometres through many districts. The project was completed in 2012 but the pollution has not been curbed due to a large amount of untreated wastewater flowing into it.

The Tan Hoa-Lo Gom Canal which runs for seven kilometres through districts 6, 11 and Tan Phu has also faced a similar situation. After a VND 5-trillion upgrade in 2015 the dykes along the canals and surrounding sceneries look better, but the water had the same black colour and bad smell.

Lack of wastewater treatment facilities

HCM City will have 12 wastewater treatment plants with a total capacity of nearly 3 million m3 of wastewater per day by 2025 according to plans. However, only three plants have been completed so far, which have a total treatment capacity of 302,000 m3/day. And they have yet to be put into operation or have operated under capacity due to some problems.

For example, the Tham Luong Wastewater Treatment Plant which was completed in 2018 with a capacity of 131,000 m3/day, can now be operated at only 10 percent of its capacity due to a lack of pipes.

Meanwhile, the biggest plant, the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Wastewater Treatment Plant with a designed capacity of 480,000m3/day, has faced stagnant construction over the past 10 years. It is expected that this facility will finally be completed next April.

According to the HCM City Urban Construction Investment Management Board, they are planning to upgrade the wastewater drainage system in the Tham Luong - Ben Cat area to solve the problem at the Tham Luong Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrade work is expected to be carried out between 2023-2028.

HCM City Construction Department Deputy Director Dang Phu Thanh said that they were speeding up the construction work at some wastewater treatment plants such as Binh Hung and Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe while calling for investment in some new projects including Bac Sai Gon 1, Bac Sai Gon 2, Cau Dua, and Tay Bac.

Source: Dtinews