Ensuring people have equitable, adequate and safe access to clean water

On the morning of February 28, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to give opinions on the draft Law on Water Supply and Drainage.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized the need to innovate the thinking of law-making, including the Law on Water Supply and Drainage, towards a synchronous and comprehensive approach, as well as a detailed and specific approach to solve practical problems; clarify the relationship between the Law on Water Supply and Drainage and other laws... - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi

The legal 'shirt' is tight

According to the report of the Ministry of Construction, currently, in urban areas, there are about 250 water supply enterprises, operating over 1,000 water plants; the total capacity of water supply plants is about 13.2 million m3/day and night. The rate of urban residents supplied with clean water is 94%. The rate of clean water loss and revenue loss is 15.5%. In rural areas, there are about 18,000 concentrated rural clean water supply works, 10 million household-scale water supply works.

The urban drainage system is mainly a combined drainage system. By December 2024, there were 83 urban wastewater treatment plants operating in more than 50 urban areas nationwide, with a total design capacity of about 2.064 million m3/day and an actual capacity of about 1.063 million m3/day. The average urban wastewater collection and treatment rate reached 18% of the total wastewater generated. In rural areas, most domestic and production wastewater is discharged directly into the environment.

Currently, the highest law on water supply and drainage is a decree, which does not meet the development needs of the water supply and drainage industry.

The content of water supply and drainage planning in regional and provincial planning is only indicative and not specifically regulated, making it difficult to establish and implement investment in large-scale water supply and drainage projects with regional connectivity; many urban areas are flooded due to overloaded or unsynchronized drainage systems.

Lack of regulations on building and managing databases on water supply and drainage; water supply and drainage data from the central to local levels is incomplete, inconsistent and information technology has not been effectively applied.

Investment activities in water supply and drainage development have not met the requirements of socio-economic development and environmental protection. Investment in water supply in rural, remote, border and island areas is ineffective, the works are not sustainable, and the service quality is poor. The demand for investment capital for wastewater collection and treatment is very large (from 3 to 10 times the investment capital for water supply), while the ability to meet the demand from the State budget is low, and socialized capital sources have not been mobilized.

Issuing clean water prices faces many difficulties; drainage and wastewater treatment service prices are still low, limiting the mobilization of investment resources.

State management of water supply and drainage is still overlapping, inconsistent, unsynchronized, and fragmented by locality; water supply in urban and rural areas is different from planning, investment management, construction quality to service quality.

The model of water supply and drainage management organization is diverse and different between provinces and cities; the capacity to operate water supply and drainage works is still limited, lacking control, especially in rural areas.

Lack of regulations on safe water supply and drainage management to improve service quality and prevent and minimize impacts from climate change (saltwater intrusion, drought, subsidence...).

The development of the Law on Water Supply and Drainage aims to perfect the system of legal documents as a synchronous, comprehensive and unified management tool for water supply and drainage activities.

Providing stable clean water, ensuring people's right to access clean water, collecting and treating wastewater synchronously with the purpose of protecting the environment, draining rainwater to prevent flooding associated with climate change adaptation, contributing to improving the quality of life and protecting human health.

Towards managing the development of water supply and drainage on a digital technology platform, unifying the database, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of water supply and drainage, minimizing management and operation personnel, state investment costs, and promoting socialization.

Harmoniously combine the legitimate rights and interests of water users, drainage households, organizations and individuals investing in and operating water supply and drainage works and the State. Develop mechanisms and policies to mobilize resources for investment and operation of water supply and drainage works; support investment in rural water supply and drainage works, areas with difficult water sources and scattered populations.

At the meeting, representatives of the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Justice, Finance, Public Security, Vietnam Water Supply and Drainage Association, etc. analyzed the political, legal, practical basis and existing problems, limitations, the necessity to develop and promulgate the Law on Water Supply and Drainage, ensuring synchronous and unified management of strategies, planning, development plans for water supply, rainwater drainage, wastewater and wastewater treatment; management, operation, ensuring safety of works and provision of water supply and drainage services; rights and responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals in water supply and drainage activities.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the draft Law on Water Supply and Drainage needs to be concise, specific, and focus on the water supply and drainage sector; clearly stipulate issues related to the State's responsibilities, security and safety of water resources, water supply and drainage systems, water quality, etc. - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi

Must ensure no conflicts, no overlap

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized the need to innovate the thinking of law-making, including the Law on Water Supply and Drainage, in the direction of both a synchronous and comprehensive approach and a detailed and specific approach to solve practical problems; clarify the relationship between the Law on Water Supply and Drainage and other laws, such as planning for urban and rural development, water resources, environmental protection, irrigation, public investment, prices, taxes, etc. to ensure no conflicts or overlaps.

The Ministry of Construction must continue to review mechanisms and policies related to water supply and drainage in issued laws, clearly identify shortcomings and limitations in the implementation process, thereby identifying specific and specific issues in the field of water supply and drainage that other laws cannot solve.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that clean water is also an essential and important commodity that the State is responsible for managing, ensuring that people have fair, adequate and safe access. In addition, businesses can invest in water supply systems to provide to customer groups who need to use water with higher standards at self-negotiated prices.

The draft Law needs to be concise, specific, focusing on the water supply and drainage sector; clearly defining issues related to the State's responsibilities, security and safety of water resources, water supply and drainage systems, water quality, etc. and approaching by region and river basin, not by administrative boundaries.

"What is clear should be institutionalized into detailed policies in the law, while at the same time there should be some major orientations for issues that are unclear, unpredictable, and cannot be fully assessed," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/bao-dam-nguoi-dan-duoc-tiep-can-nuoc-sach-cong-bang-day-du-an-toan-387160.html