Construction of a plant capable of producing 2,000 cubic metres of clean water per day started in Kampot province on Sunday.
The plant in Bak Nem village will ease a shortage of clean water for about 40,000 people, equal to 10,000 families in Kampot and Takeo provinces.
Communes to benefit will be Chres, Chum Phouvone, Srei Samraong and Trapaing Reng in Kampot province.
In Takeo province, Nor Reay and Tram Kak communes will get the new service, as will military and army forces in the area.
Industry Minister Cham Prasidh said during the ground-breaking ceremony that peace in the country provided the opportunity to develop the water sector in urban and rural areas to meet the needs of citizens.
“The ministry has participated actively and paid attention with great responsibility in implementing the National Development Strategic Plan 2014-2018,” he said.
“It has given high priority to the development of clean, safe water for citizens which is also sustainable and affordable through the expansion of production capacity.
“It has encouraged the participation of the private sector and other development partners to invest in the sector.
“Meanwhile, the ministry is preparing a new draft law on water supply management that focuses on the scope within the framework throughout the country to provide confidence and optimise water supply services in towns to attract investment from the private sector and create a basic legal framework to manage the increasing state revenue plan for social and public welfare,” Mr Prasidh said.
Clean water supplies to in urban areas have increased from 68.5 percent of households in 2012 to 85.84 percent in 2017.
