HCM City has reached more than 85 per cent of its plan to limit groundwater exploitation this year. Photo: baogiaothong.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City has reduced groundwater exploitation by 14,300cu.m per day compared to the target of 16,650cu.m per day this year, reaching more than 85 per cent of its plan for 2021.

The target by the end of the year includes a reduction of 8,000cu.m per day for use by households, 4,650cu.m per day for industrial production and 4,000cu.m per day for the State-run Sài Gòn Water Supply Corporation (Sawaco).

To achieve the goal, the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment did not grant licensing to 74 groundwater exploitation works that belong to companies, industrial parks and export processing zones.

In addition, the department urged households to fill up wells in areas where clean tap water is accessible. The city’s water sector covered the costs for filling up wells.

Groundwater can be harmful to health because of dangerous chemicals and wastewater.

The department and district authorities will also promote awareness about the damage caused by over-exploitation of groundwater resources and will call on residents and enterprises to stop using well water.

To protect residents’ health, city authorities said that clean, safe water would continue to be supplied to all households in every district.

According to the State-run Sài Gòn Water Supply Corporation (Sawaco), under its 2020-2025 plan, the city aims to increase the average supply of clean water per capita per day by 165 litres and reduce the tap water leakage rate to 15 per cent. — VNS