French-Backed Water Plant Contract Signed
The Phnom Penh Water Authority (PPWA) and Vinci Construction Grands Projets signed the contract on April 11. Photo: Ambassade de France au Cambodge
- By Meng Seavmey
- April 12, 2024 2:10 PM
PHNOM PENH – The Bakheng water treatment plant will start its third phase after the signing of a $100 million contract for design and construction.
The Phnom Penh Water Authority (PPWA) and Vinci Construction Grands Projets signed the contract on April 11.
Construction will break ground in the second half of this year and be completed in 2027.
The plan is aligned with the PPWSA’s revised third master plan (2022-2030) to supply 1.4 million cubic meters of water daily in the capital by 2030.
By the end of Phase 1, the plant was able to provide drinking water for more than 750,000 inhabitants of the area with a capacity of 195,000 cubic meters per day.
The second phase doubled the capacity to 390,000 cubic meters, supplying 1.5 million residents in the north-east of the capital and Takhmao city.
The third phase will contribute to the goal of universal access to drinking water for the entire population of Phnom Penh and its outskirts.
The contract is also a part of the “Bakheng phase 3” project that was signed in January between Agence Francaise de Developpement and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The three phases will make the plant the largest operation of PPWSA and one of the largest in the region, with 600,000 cubic meters per day.
The contract includes a new water intake, a new treatment plant, the main transmission network and all supplementary equipment.
The operation gets raw water from the Mekong River via an intake with a two-pipe pumping station to the treatment plant.
"This project fully embodies the long-standing cooperation of trust that exists between France and Cambodia, by combining the expertise of French companies and the commitment of AFD,” French Ambassador Jacques Pellet said.
