Island commune lacks water due to drought

Khanh Hoa Over the past two months, nearly 1,000 households on Binh Ba Island, Cam Ranh City, have faced a severe water shortage, while the water supply project has not been able to be implemented for many years.

Binh Ba is one of two islands in Cam Binh commune. The island is located in Cam Ranh Bay and has nearly 1,000 households with 4,000 people. More than 90% of households make a living by fishing, processing and raising seafood. The shortage of fresh water on the island has been going on for a long time but has recently become more serious due to drought and increased demand. Currently, the water source on the island is mostly drilled wells, but they are very acidic and salty, so they are only used for bathing and washing. Water for cooking must be purchased from the mainland.

Binh Ba Island, Cam Binh Commune, Cam Ranh City. Photo: Bui Toan

Ms. Vo Thi Xuan Lam, in Binh An village, said that to save fresh water, her family has to use salty well water to wash rice, then drain it all out before adding fresh water to the pot to cook rice. In addition, laundry water is also used to flush toilets, and rainwater is retained for irrigation, etc. "Even with such savings, a family of five still spends millions of dong on water each month," Ms. Lam said.

Mrs. Lam buys fresh water from traders who transport it from the mainland for 7,000 VND per 30-liter can. When the water runs out, she hires a three-wheeled vehicle to transport it from near the pier for 150,000 VND per trip, about 10 cans at a time. As for water for bathing, washing, and cleaning, she has to buy it from a well drilled by another household on the island for 60,000 VND per cubic meter.

About 700 meters from Mrs. Lam's house, Mr. Tran Van Kien, from Binh Ba Tay village, also has to save fresh water to have enough for his family of 9. Previously, he bought water from traders from the mainland for 120,000 VND per cubic meter. However, since the beginning of the year, they have not brought fresh water to the island to sell anymore. The prolonged hot weather has caused his family's rainwater tank to run out. Mr. Kien has to buy 20-liter bottled water for drinking and cooking. His family buys water for bathing and washing from a household with a well in the commune.

"Every day my family uses 2-3 bottles of water and about 1 cubic meter of well water for bathing and washing," said Mr. Kien, adding that he also invested in a plastic pipe system to supply water from a household with a well on the island. When he needed to buy, he was notified and water would be pumped. But for the past two months, water has been scarce, sometimes having to wait 3-4 hours for water.

Mr. Kien stores rainwater in large plastic tanks for irrigation. Photo: Bui Toan

Mr. Nguyen An, Chairman of Cam Binh Commune People's Committee, said that only well-off households on the island invest in wells because they have to drill 100 meters deep to get water, which costs a lot of money. However, this water source cannot be used for drinking or cooking because the salinity is up to 5 parts per thousand.

Over the past 6 months, Binh Ba Island has only had two heavy rains. The first rains of the season are not clean, so people do not dare to collect water for use. Most people have to buy fresh water from the mainland in many different ways. "Until now, Cam Binh island commune does not have a clean water system," said Mr. An, adding that every time he meets with voters, people complain about the lack of fresh water, but this problem has not been resolved.

Mr. Quach Thanh Son, Director of the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Works in Khanh Hoa Province, said that the project to invest in the domestic water supply system for Binh Ba Island with a total capital of about 119 billion VND was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in 2016. The project will invest in a pipeline system from the mainland running underground through the sea to Binh Ba Island. However, due to the failure to request funding from the Central Government, the project has not been implemented.

Chairman of Cam Ranh City People's Committee Le Ngoc Thach said that the provincial People's Committee has requested a re-survey of the water supply plan for people on Binh Ba Island to have a suitable investment direction. Therefore, the city and related units have studied the investment plan for an open-air water pipe system from Navy Region 4 to Binh Ba Island to save costs.

Mr. Thach also said that recently, a business in Hanoi came to the island to survey and invest in a project using technology to filter seawater into fresh water, but the investment level of this project is very large compared to the population on Binh Ba island, so it is not guaranteed to recover the capital. "In the coming time, the city will continue to call for and study other water supply options to ensure the lives of the people," Mr. Thach said.

Bui Toan

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