The Institute for Water Resources and Environment has said that brine
encroachment in HCM
City early 2011 nearly
doubles the average of previous years and is taking place a month earlier than
normal.

The encroachment of sea water has largely affected the water
quality for agriculture and the daily life of HCM City
people.

In late February HCM City-based Tan Hiep Water Supply Plant,
which provides 300,000cu.m of water to HCM
City residents a day, had to ask for
assistance from the Dau Tieng Reservoir when the salt levels of the water in Saigon River
(Cu Chi district section) exceeded the permitted level. Dau Tieng Reservoir
discharged tens of millions of cubic meters of water to push the salty water
downstream.

In recent days, according to the Institute, encroachment of
sea water in the Saigon
River has increased under
the strengthening of northeastern monsoons. Dau Tieng Reservoir had to continue
discharging water from February 13-20 to save the Tan Hiep Water Supply Plant.
As a result, its water level reduced by 4-5cm a day to nearly the dead level
while the dry season will last until July.

The Thu Duc and BOO Thu Duc Water Plants are in more
dangerous situation because they use the water from the Dong Nai River, where doesn’t have the assistance
from any reservoir. The saltiness in some sections of the river has reached 5%.

Pointing to his durian orchard, Mr. Hai Ruong in Lai Thieu
town, Binh Duong Province, said that he watered the orchard by water from a
nearby canal but after being irrigated, trees faded. “I have had to pump water from
wells to water the trees,” he said.

Salt water encroachment has not only affected the water
resources for daily life but also nearly 100,000 hectares of crops and orchards
in HCM City and Tay Ninh provinces.

In a recent meeting with officials of Dau Tieng reservoir,
HCM City Vice Chair Nguyen Trung Tin noted that the reservoir is very important
to HCM City and the southern region. Saving
water is the top priority in the current situation.

Nguyen Van Dam, director of the HCM City Irrigation Service
Management Company, said that due to water shortage, since late January 2011,
Dau Tieng reservoir has had to perform alternative water supply for HCM City
and Tay Ninh to save water.

Relevant agencies have instructed farmers to plant trees
that don’t need much water and to repair canals.

PV