Le Minh Hong in Duc Thuong Commune is using long hoses to transport water from a well into his 10 m3 water tank. The current water shortage has his whole neighborhood innovating in industrious and creative ways to procure hydration and keep from drying.
Hong’s tank’s sand filtration process removes poisonous metallic particles from the water, making it safe to drink.
Nguyen Dinh Ha, general director of the Western Hanoi Water company, said around 7,000 families in Hoai Duc District have been affected by the water shortage.
The long water shortage has turned lives upside down.
Local resident Binh said his family has been living without clean water for nearly a week.
He's had to ask his neighbors for well water.
Then Binh was finally able to install water pumps on Wednesday, allowing him to obtain water from the well and deal with all his family’s dirty dishes that had built up for days.
Tran Van Vu built a water tank after his family spent 25 days without clean water.
"We luckily still have a well, otherwise we wouldn't know what to do," he said.
Locals in Duc Thuong Commune have also been forced to think of clever ways to secure clean water.
Do Van Chien bought plastic tanks, seed husks and sand to construct a makeshift filtration tank as he waits for the water to return.
"Normally no one would bother to buy seed husks, but nowadays they cost VND50,000 ($2.13) per bag as material for water filtration," he said.
Do Van Thanh, who lives at the Central Veterinary Medicine Company apartment complex, said he gets up at 1 a.m.- 2 a.m. every day to secure clean water.
"Few people use water at that time, so the water does actually get to downstream areas."
Thus, when he’s early enough, Thanh gets to collect water and store it in containers for later use throughout the day.
"A water shortage is already tough, but it’s happening during the summer heat and have forced us to do so many things to secure enough water," he said.
Some families have had to buy clean water tanks, which cost a few millions of Vietnamese dong. (VND1 million = US$42.60)
Some families use pumps to get clean water, but due to low amounts of water available, many pumps break down.
Tran Van Cuong, a mechanic, said that before the water problem, he rarely fixed broken water pumps. But in the past two weeks he’s had to repair 20 pumps in about half as many days.
On Monday, locals in Chien Village flocked to a local pond to swim. This is the area with the most severe water shortage in Duc Thuong Commune.
A water company employee checks a family's water supply.
During the hot summer days, the Western Hanoi Water company needs around 28,000 m3 of water from the Da River, but only 22,000 m3 is available. The company is currently hastening the construction of the Son Dong pump station.
The water supply for western Hanoi is supposed to come from the Song Hong Water company, but the project is currently behind schedule. A representative of the Western Hanoi Water company said ample water supplies should return in another 1-2 days, though shortages could happen again during heat waves.
