Ensuring access to clean water for residents of Minh Luong commune.

In Minh Luong commune, many households still lack a centralized, hygienic water supply system, or have received one but it is dilapidated or broken, leading to prolonged water shortages and directly affecting people's lives.

45 households in the Pom Khén area, Minh Hạ village, are still lacking access to clean water because the centralized water supply system was completely destroyed by natural disasters.

Due to the impact of natural disasters at the end of 2025, the water supply system for 45 households (262 people) in Pom Khén area, Minh Hạ village 3, was completely destroyed, from the main dam and irrigation ditch to the water pipes. All households in the area are facing a severe shortage of clean water.

Faced with water scarcity, residents are forced to resort to temporary solutions, channeling water from streams to their homes. However, to obtain this "temporary" water source, each household has to invest between 3 and 5 million VND in purchasing plastic pipes, not including repair costs when the pipes break.

Mr. Trieu Quy Phin, from Minh Ha village, Hamlet 3, inspects his family's temporary water pipe.

Mr. Trieu Quy Phin, from Minh Ha village, said: "After the floods damaged the centralized water supply system, my family had to invest nearly 4 million VND to buy plastic pipes to bring water from the stream to our house. The water, taken directly from the stream, contains a lot of sediment and becomes very cloudy when it rains. The pipes are also frequently damaged, causing water outages and great inconvenience. We hope to soon receive investment in a centralized, hygienic water supply system to ensure a stable water source."

The residents of Na Ham village have to lay their own water pipes to their homes while waiting for the centralized water supply project to be completed.

Not only in Minh Ha village (village 3), but also in Na Ham village, due to the ongoing construction of the Na Ham - Nam Van - Phieng Doong centralized water supply project, households there have to invest in their own pipelines to bring water from streams several kilometers away. Many households have to spend tens of millions of dong and a lot of labor, causing expense and inconvenience.

Mr. Hoang Thua Tien, from Na Ham village, shared: "We are very excited that the centralized water supply project is being invested in, but while waiting for construction, my family still has to use water from the stream. I, along with another household, had to invest nearly 20 million VND to pipe water from a stream 4 km away from our house, because there is no reliable water source near our home."

It is known that the Na Ham - Nam Van - Phieng Doong centralized water supply project is currently under construction but is behind schedule due to the impact of the road construction connecting National Highway 279 to the Minh Luong Commune People's Committee. The water supply project's route runs along the road under construction, causing many difficulties. It is expected that the project will be completed and put into operation by the end of February, ensuring the supply of clean water to 71 households in the villages of Na Ham, Nam Van, and Phieng Doong.

The Phiêng Đoóng village area has a fairly effective centralized water supply system thanks to the households' awareness of maintaining and repairing it.

In the Phiêng Đoóng area, a centralized water supply system for domestic use was previously installed. However, due to its age and the impact of natural disasters, the system frequently deteriorates and becomes damaged. Because of a lack of maintenance funds, households using the water have to contribute financially and labor to repair and maintain its operation.

Mr. Trieu Ton San, from Phieng Doong village, uses water from the centralized domestic water supply system.

Mr. Trieu Ton San, from Phieng Doong village, said: "The water supply from the centralized domestic water supply system is relatively reliable because it has a sedimentation and filtration system. However, households have to regularly contribute money and labor to repair and maintain the pipeline system to ensure stable operation."

According to statistics, Minh Luong commune currently has 11 centralized water supply systems providing clean water to 1,688 households. However, only 3 of these systems are operating effectively, 4 are operating inefficiently, 2 are not operational, and 2 are under construction and are expected to be put into use by the end of February.

To date, only 1,416 out of 1,688 households have access to clean water from centralized water supply systems; the remaining households still rely on water from streams, which is not yet hygienically safe.

Mr. Luu Quynh Ngat, Vice Chairman of the Minh Luong Commune People's Committee, stated: Due to some projects being invested in many years ago and lacking maintenance funds, they have deteriorated and become damaged, affecting the efficiency of water supply. In addition, the locality has been severely affected by natural disasters in recent times, with many projects damaged, and some even completely swept away. Furthermore, the commune lacks a unit with sufficient capacity to operate the projects, so many projects have not been able to function effectively.

Despite facing many difficulties, Minh Luong commune has implemented numerous solutions to address the challenges and gradually ensure a clean and safe water supply for its residents. These include promoting awareness and encouraging self-governing groups to regularly maintain and repair infrastructure; and urging construction units to expedite progress to bring new projects into operation as soon as possible.

Mr. Luu Quynh Ngat, Vice Chairman of the Minh Luong Commune People's Committee, emphasized: The locality hopes that all levels and sectors will pay attention and provide additional funding for the commune to maintain and repair water supply facilities. At the same time, they hope for consideration of assigning qualified enterprises to participate in investing in, managing, and operating these facilities, in order to maximize long-term effectiveness, ensuring people have access to clean water, stable living conditions, and the confidence to develop the economy .

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/dam-bao-nuoc-sinh-hoat-cho-nguoi-dan-xa-minh-luong-post891092.html