Engineers at SAWACO inspect and ensure the safe water supply at Thủ Đức water plant. — Photo courtesy of SAWACO

HCM CITY — HCM City officials are set to inspect the quality of tap water in apartment buildings and their water storage tanks across various districts.

The Saigon Water Supply Corporation (SAWACO), in partnership with the Department of Health, will conduct thorough checks on pH levels, microbiological safety, and metal concentrations in the tap water of more than 960 apartment buildings and 624 centralised water storage sites throughout the city. 

This initiative is part of a broader plan this year aimed at guaranteeing safe drinking water for city residents.

Teams will be collecting water samples from both storage tanks and household taps to ensure they meet over 100 safety standards set by the Ministry of Health. 

Trần Kim Thạch, the head of the Water Quality Management Department at SAWACO, said the department is also working closely with local health stations to evaluate the water supply network and its sources feeding into apartments.

On-site assessments will check important factors such as pH levels and turbidity, while samples for microbiological and metal testing will be sent to accredited laboratories, with results typically available within one to seven days.

Regarding recent complaints from residents, authorities are committed to quickly addressing concerns and ensuring the water supply is safe to drink.

The quality of drinking water in apartment buildings has become a pressing issue for both organisations and the public. 

“The health and safety of residents remain a top priority, and officials are dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to safe and clean drinking water,” he said.

The Department of Health found last year that many apartment complexes and water storage facilities had water quality issues, including high chlorine levels and the presence of harmful bacteria such as coliform and E. coli. 

These findings raise serious health concerns for residents relying on this water.

In mid-March, over 400 households in an apartment complex in Bình Hưng Hòa Ward, Bình Tân District, expressed worries about their water being murky, having an unpleasant odour, and potentially being contaminated with groundwater that does not meet safety standards. 

In response, the city government has ordered an investigation to identify the source of the contamination and to review the internal water supply systems in apartment buildings across the city. — VNS