Southern Vietnam Faces Water Shortage Crisis as Tri An Lake Levels Plummet, Algae Bloom Disrupts Supply

In Dong Nai province, southern Vietnam, water levels in Tri An Lake have significantly dropped despite it being the rainy season, leading to a dense bloom of algae that is severely impacting water supply operations. This has reduced water extraction and treatment capacity, causing water shortages for approximately 2,000 households. Duong Dao Truong Tho, General Director of Gia Tan Water Supply Joint Stock Company, announced that the company has sent a document to the Dong Nai City People's Committee requesting assistance to address the shortage of raw water, which affects the supply to nearly 30,000 households in Dinh Quan, Thong Nhat districts, and the former Long Khanh city. According to the company, the water level in Tri An Lake has receded at the end of the dry season, and algae have proliferated in the water intake area, directly impacting the plant's extraction and treatment capabilities. From July 24 to 26, the lake's water level fluctuated between 50.4 and 50.8 meters. The dense algae bloom forced the company to temporarily halt water intake, discharge treated water from processing tanks, and clean the system to ensure output water quality met Ministry of Health standards. In response to the situation, the Dong Nai City People's Committee has requested the Tri An Hydropower Plant to temporarily regulate its water discharge to maintain the lake's water level at approximately 52 meters during peak periods. This measure is expected to help the raw water intake system operate stably, limit algae intrusion, and maintain a capacity of 33,000-35,000 cubic meters per day and night, thereby basically meeting the needs of residents and businesses. Mr. Tho stated that the company is investing in extending its pipelines to deeper water areas and is implementing a rotational water supply in areas facing shortages. Currently, the plant meets about 90% of the demand, but approximately 2,000 households are still experiencing water scarcity. Tri An Lake is the reservoir for the Tri An Hydropower Plant on the Dong Nai River. The plant began operation in 1987 and has four turbines with a total design capacity of 400 MW. Unlike water suppliers in urban areas like Bien Hoa, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City, which primarily extract raw water from the Dong Nai River, Gia Tan Water Supply Company draws water directly from Tri An Lake in Thong Nhat commune. The plant has a design capacity of about 40,000 cubic meters per day and night. The water intake area typically experiences low water levels during the dry season, usually from May to July annually, posing difficulties for clean water extraction and treatment operations.