Improving water sources for daily use in Cat Hai

"We only use the reserved rain-water for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing because the water here is usually aluminous and saline. And, during the dry season, my family has not enough drinking water to use. We have to buy bottled water at high price," says Le Thi Khoe, 67, living in Cat Hai island district of the coastal city of Hai Phong.

Cat Hai is an area without tap water for daily use. Currently, local residents are using two main water sources: rain-water for drinking and cooking and well-water for other uses.

In winter, underground water sources on the island often dry up due to little rainfall. Many households have to buy water from inland at high price.

Due to the geology of the island, almost all well-water sources are saline, especially those near beaches or lagoons. For rain-water reserve, households manage to catch it using metal-sheet or fibro-cement roofs.

World Vision, through its Hai Phong Resilient to Climate Change and Disaster Risks (HRCD) Project, has been working with local partners to help local residents obtain clean and safe water.

Thanks to the affordable water treatment tanks introduced by the project, needy households are now able to improve their aluminous and saline well-water sources.

"My family no longer has to worry about lacking clean water. We are very grateful to World Vision for helping our community improve our health,” says Khoe with a smile.

Her family is one of the four selected households to pilot improving water sources for daily use in Cat Hai district.

Vietnamese text by Cao Phan Viet, HRCD

English version by Tran My Hang