Over recent days, Da Nang’s Cau Do (Red Bridge) River has been suffering from severe salt-water contamination.

At 10.00am on Tuesday, the salinity level of the river reached 999mg/l, up to 4 times higher than the allowed limits.

This is the first time that the river has been affected by severe salinity again after 2 weeks of implementing the plan issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on 27 May about the operation of hydropower reservoirs in the basins of the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers during the dry season.

The main reason for this problem is that hydropower plants in the basins of the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers have not ensured the discharge of water in accordance with the above-mentioned operation plan. This has resulted in the low water level of the Vu Gia River at the Ai Nghia Hydrological Station.

In particular, the water level of the Vu Gia River at the Ai Nghia Hydrological Station was recorded at 2.01m at 7.00am on 10 June, lower than the minimum water level by 0.66m and that of 9 June by 0.72m.

Since then, the volume of water flowing from the upstream into the Vu Gia and Yen rivers has been very low. As a result, the Red Bridge River has suffered salinity intrusion again.

Mr Ho Huong, General Director of the Da Nang Water Supply Company (DAWACO), remarked although the salinity levels of the Red Bridge River have increased significantly, his company has still ensured sufficient water for residents' daily lives, agriculture and industrial production in the city.

“Currently, DAWACO has taken the initiative to source water from the An Trach Dam to provide for the Red Bridge and International Airport water supply plants”, he added.

Director Huong remarked the construction of a pipe system to transport raw water to the Cau Do Water Plant has yet to be deployed because many families have yet to hand over their land to the project.

The municipal authorities, therefore, have urged functional bodies in Cam Le District to carry out site clearance and compensation work for the implementation of this project.