On the afternoon of March 18, Mr. Ho Ngoc Hau, Deputy Director of Ben Tre Province Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited - the management unit of Kenh Lap freshwater reservoir, confirmed to reporters. People intellectual The water in this reservoir is salty beyond standards.
Kenh Lap Lake (Photo: Bao Ky).
“The water in the Ba Lai River and infield ditches around Kenh Lap Lake has been salt-intruded, but the lake is not leaking. The lake water is salty because the soil in the lake bed has been salty before.
Due to the hot sun and strong water evaporation, every 2 weeks the salinity will increase by 0,1‰. Currently, the lake water is salty at more than 0,6‰, slightly exceeding the standard," Mr. Hau said.
Mr. Hau added that Ben Tre's domestic water standards are salinity below 0,5‰. Although the water in Kenh Lap Lake is salty, it is the best source of drinking water in the area.
In the near future, if the hot weather continues, the lake water may increase in salinity. However, the management unit predicts salinity will not exceed 1‰ in this year's dry season.
Kenh Lap freshwater reservoir (Ba Tri district, Ben Tre province) was built in 2017 with a cost of 85 billion VND. The lake has the function of storing fresh water to serve daily needs in the dry season for about 200.000 people living in the area.
Kenh Lap Lake began storing water in 2019, with a capacity of 800.000m³. In recent years, the lake has contributed greatly to helping people in the area cope with drought and saltwater intrusion.
During the rainy season, the lake operator continuously takes in and drains water to wash away residual salinity in the soil at the bottom of the lake. Over time, the salinity of lake water in the dry season is decreasing.
