Billion-dollar project "sleeping" for 5 years

- The wastewater treatment plant project for the resettlement and residential area in the South of the city located in Mai Pha commune has an investment value of more than 19.3 billion VND, with a wastewater treatment capacity of about 1,000 m3/day and night. However, since 2020 when the project was completed and put into operation, the operation of the wastewater treatment plant has not met its goals and has not been as effective as expected.

The wastewater tank system is almost inactive.

The construction and installation of the wastewater treatment plant (package No. 18) under the residential and resettlement project in the South of Lang Son city has a construction and installation value of more than 19.3 billion VND, the investment capital is from the state budget, the investor is the Lang Son Provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board.

Of which, the construction item estimate is more than 5.49 billion VND, the equipment item estimate is more than 13.8 billion VND, the construction start time is the second quarter of 2018, the construction completion time is the fourth quarter of 2019. The project will be put into operation from the second quarter of 2020 and the project will be finalized on December 31, 2020.

Since 2020, the project has been handed over to the Lang Son Department of Construction for management and operation, and Lang Son Water Supply and Drainage Joint Stock Company has been assigned to manage and operate. By the second quarter of 2024, the Department of Construction will transfer the project to the Lang Son City People's Committee for management and operation, and Lang Son Water Supply and Drainage Joint Stock Company will continue to be assigned to manage and operate the station.

6 stainless steel biological culture tanks for wastewater treatment have not been in operation since 2020.

Accordingly, the wastewater treatment plant is built on an area of ​​about 350 m2 located next to the October 17 bridge and Ky Cung river, with a scale including: operating room, air blower room, settling tank, wastewater collection tank, biological tanks made of stainless steel, serving the cultivation of microorganisms to treat wastewater...

The goal of building a treatment station is to collect and treat all domestic waste sources in residential and resettlement areas in the South of the city, taking into account expanding the collection area to the surrounding areas of Mai Pha commune, ensuring environmental hygiene standards before discharging into Ky Cung river.

On May 28, 2025, when we were present at the wastewater treatment plant, we noted that the door locks of the area where the air blower equipment was installed were moldy, the entire system of equipment inside such as the air blower was new but not working, the sludge tanks were empty. The corrugated iron walkway system above the outdoor water tanks was rusty, the rainwater remaining in the settling tank had a green scum...

Mr. Nguyen Minh Duc, station security guard, turned on the idle operating system for reporters to observe.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Duc, security guard of the treatment station of Lang Son Water Supply and Drainage Joint Stock Company, said: Because the wastewater source to the station is very small, the station's equipment system is almost not operating to treat wastewater. Occasionally, the company's staff turns on the system to operate in idle mode to prevent equipment degradation.

According to the leaders of the Urban Drainage Branch - Lang Son Water Supply and Drainage Joint Stock Company, the wastewater treatment station of the residential and resettlement area in the South of the city applies microbiological wastewater treatment technology with a treatment capacity of 1,000 m3/day and night, meeting the environmental sanitation output standards according to state regulations.

Mr. Dinh Quang Vinh, Deputy Director of the Urban Drainage Branch, said: The amount of water maintained at the station must reach 50% of capacity for the station's equipment system to be qualified for operation. However, since taking over the wastewater treatment station, the wastewater source to the station has only reached less than 10%, and there are times when wastewater does not reach the station, so the system is almost unable to operate to treat wastewater according to the design. The company has also reported this situation to the competent authority and inspected the entire pipeline system, but the unit has not discovered any damage to the sewer system leading wastewater to the station and the amount of wastewater circulating in the sewers is insignificant.

It is known that the wastewater drainage system in the residential and resettlement area in the South of the city is about 4 km long and this system is not connected to the wastewater drainage system in other residential areas in Mai Pha commune.

Discussing the issue of the project not being effective at the state management advisory agency of the People's Committee of Lang Son city, the Department of Economics , Infrastructure and Urban Areas, Mr. Dinh Bang Son, Head of the Department, said: From the second quarter of 2024, when the city received the project from the Department of Construction of Lang Son to carry out management and operation, the equipment system was assessed to be still good. Regarding the reason why the wastewater source to the station is not significant, according to Mr. Son, it is because this is a new residential area, although in recent years, more and more people have built new houses, but most families have designed septic tanks, so the wastewater source is low. Moreover, many houses have a wastewater drainage system from the septic tank and are connected to the wastewater pipeline system to the treatment station or not, the department has not yet counted.

Currently, the area of ​​villages located south of October 17 bridge, in Mai Pha commune, has a rapid urbanization rate, and many state agencies, enterprises, and restaurants are operating. Therefore, the People's Committee of Lang Son city and later the new agency (after the dissolution of the administrative agency of Lang Son city People's Committee), assigned to manage and operate the project, need to promptly take measures to inspect and review the entire wastewater drainage system in residential areas south of October 17 bridge in the areas of Khon Pho, Khon Khuyen, Co Man, Mai Thanh, Ro Phai villages, the residential and resettlement area of ​​the South of the city, and the A Mai Pha resettlement area, and need to have a connection solution to collect wastewater to the treatment plant, before discharging it into the Ky Cung river.

In addition, the authorities need to urgently re-evaluate the status of the station's equipment system (due to long-term non-operation of wastewater treatment); supplement necessary equipment for wastewater environmental monitoring; develop an operating plan when there is enough wastewater to be brought to the station, associated with maintenance work so that the project can operate effectively, avoiding the current situation of the project being abandoned and wasted for a long time.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/cong-trinh-tien-ty-ngu-quen-5-nam-5048425.html