LookAtVietnam – Thousands of households in Vu Ban district in Nam Dinh province have been forced to use contaminated water for several years.

The Tran Van Tiep River in Nam Dinh province. A shortage of clean drinking water has forced residents to turn to the polluted river.

However, it has become seriously polluted. The water is black, smells like sewage and has seeped into the well water in much of the commune, particularly in areas near the river’s banks, according to Hung.

Resident Phung Dinh Su said that the water from the river is so polluted and dirty that no one dares to even wash their feet with it, never mind other activities.

“Even the water from my well cannot be used for cooking due to the horrible smell and dark colour, and our clothes are always smeared after washing them with it, although the water is filtered many times,” said Su.

“I try to sell the house, but have not been able to since no one wants to live near such a polluted river,” Su said.

Another resident Phung Thi Lan said that most households must close their doors and wear masks to avoid the stench from the river during rainy days.

Thousands of residents in Dai An commune have come to the local health clinic for treatment of water pollution related illnesses. Approximately 1,350 patients were treated for skin diseases, more than 400 had eye diseases, and 2,700 had respiratory problems, said head of the commune’s health clinic Vu Van Dang.

The percentage of those with cancer are disproportionately high in Dai An Commune. In 2008, among the 60 deaths in the commune, 12 were attributed to cancer; in the first six months of 2009, 37 residents have died and 23 per cent of the deaths were due to cancer.

According to Hung, wastewater discharged from factories and domestic waste from households have caused the serious pollution in the river.

“Currently, no inspections on the industrial wastewater level in the river have been carried out, however, so it’s difficult to know the exact reasons,” Hung said.

A recent water quality inspection of 24 wells in the commune discovered 22 wells were contaminated with arsenic, a type of toxic chemical which causes skin cancer in humans; seven of the 24 were filled in because of the level of toxicity.

Hoa Xa and An Xa industrial zones continually discharge wastewater directly into the river without treatment, causing pollution to the river, according to Tran Van Tu, chairman of Dai An Commune People’s Committee.

Trieu Huy Dau, chairman of Hop Hung Commune People’s Committee said that some households purchase clean water at a price of VND100,000 (US$5.5) per cubic metre to protect their health, but most use rainwater for their drinking.

New facility

A project to build a new water treatment facility has been approved; construction on the facility to provide clean water for residents in the three communes will begin in October, said Hung from Lien Bao Commune People’s Committee.

“The project, worth more than VND60 billion ($3.3 million), will be invested by Nam Dinh province’s Centre for Clean Water in the period 2009-11,” Hung said.

“We will have to contribute 10 per cent of the total investment money to this project, and all residents have agreed to this, because clean water is the highest priority now,” Hung said.

Hung also said that the local authority had reported the river’s situation to relevant authorities and asked for dredging of the river to make it cleaner.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News