The pipe with a diameter of 1-1.5 meters will start at the intersection of Vo Van Tan and Tran Van Giau streets in Binh Tan District and run 12 kilometers (7.45 miles) all the way to Nguyen Van Linh Street in Binh Chanh.

The investor, Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco), Ho Chi Minh City’s main water supplier, said the exisiting pipe system in this area is small with a diameter of 0.3 meters. Besides, Binh Chanh lies at the end of the water supply network, with local residents having suffered from weak water flow or even no water during peak dry seasons in March and April.

Expected to be finished in two years, the project will increase water pressure in the area.

Once the project is completed, Sawaco will link the pipeline with the water system of the Mekong Delta’s Long An Province, which has in recent years suffered drought and salt intrusion due to a drop in rainfall and the change in the natural flow of the Mekong River, exacerbated by upstream dams.

According to HCMC Department of Construction, the city currently operates 8,800 kilometers (around 5,500 miles) of pipeline that provide 2.4 million cubic meters of water each day.

On average, each person in the city consumes 140 liters of water daily.

For now, the clean water system technically covers all districts though it has been downgraded over time, said the department, adding water supply to suburban districts is usually unstable.

In the plan to provide clean water to the city in the 2020 – 2025 period, HCMC has set a target of providing clean water to every corner and increasing the average amount used by its people to 165 liters per day.