VietNamNet Bridge – Waste water treatment is a big problem in Vietnam’s cities, according to a workshop on waste water control and treatment in Vietnam’s cities held by the Ministry of Construction and Germany’s GTZ on December 8.

Nguyen Hong Tien, chief of the Ministry of Construction’s Technical Infrastructure Department, said that only six cities in Vietnam have concentrated waste water treatment facilities, totaling 14 stations.

Many big cities like Quy Nhon and Nha Trang still do not have concentrated waste water treatment stations. Waste water is cursorily treated in tanks and then discharged into the environment.

In many cities, the number of families whose sewages are connected with the urban drainage system is low.

By the end of 2009, only 74 out of 171 operating industrial zones in Vietnam had waste water treatment facilities.

Hanoi’s total waste water output is around 670,000 cubic meters a day, including 400,000 cubic meters from the urban areas. However, only 47,000 cubic.meters or 7 percent is treated.

Vietnam has invested over $2 billion, up to 80 percent from ODA, in hygiene and waste water treatment in the last 20 years.

It is estimated that the country will need up to $16 billion to continue this task in the next decade.