A bird’s-eye view of the landfill construction site in Koh Roka commune in Kampong Cham province’s Kampong Siem district on February 5. Kampong Cham Admin
The Kampong Cham provincial authority is currently constructing a new landfill which meets international standards and has sufficient capacity to handle waste from the provincial capital and three surrounding districts.
Scheduled for completion by mid-2025, the project is underway on an 8.13ha area, including a 1.3ha landfill and four wastewater treatment reservoirs.
According to Srey Sopheak, deputy governor of Kampong Cham province, the project involves building concrete roads, fencing, office and accommodation buildings, as well as a weigh station, vehicle washing plant and workshops.
It also includes garbage sorting facilities, hazardous waste storage and the installation of water and power supply infrastructure. The new landfill will feature solar energy systems.
“As of now, it is the largest project in Kampong Cham. We have designed the new landfill to modern standards, and it will collect and store waste from Kampong Cham town and the nearby Kampong Siem, Kang Meas and Prey Chhor districts,” he said.
He noted that although there are existing garbage storage facilities in the town and surrounding districts, they do not meet required standards.
“Therefore, the waste from these areas may impact the environment. They lack modern standards, unlike the site which is currently under construction,” he added.
He explained that BM Construction and Electric Co Ltd is undertaking the construction of the project, which is expected to take 17 months to complete. Ground was broken on the site in early January, with the landfill scheduled to be operational by the end of May 2025.
The dump site and wastewater treatment station is situated in Kampong Siem district’s Koh Raka commune. Supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the project is estimated to cost around $22 million.
Ministry spokesperson Phan Rim said that the Kingdom currently has seven modern landfills in operation, with a capacity of 2.5 million cubic metres. The current sites are in the namesake provincial capitals of Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, Kampot and Kep, as well as Stung Sen and Sihanoukville, the provincial capitals of Kampong Thom and Preah Sihanouk.
He explained that with the aid of development partners, the ministry is constructing four additional facilities with a combined storage capacity of 932,000 cubic metres in the namesake provincial capitals of Kampong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, as well as Sisophon, the provincial capital of Banteay Meanchey.
Separately, a project to build landfills in Bavet and Poipet towns – in Svay Rieng and Banteay Meanchey provinces – with a storage capacity of 1.149 million cubic metres is underway. Additionally, the ministry has completed detailed studies for landfills in Siem Reap, Kampong Speu and Kandal provinces.
“The construction of modern waste facilities contributes to improving people’s quality of life, by reducing health risks and environmental pollution. It also enhances local aesthetics and fosters harmony, which is crucial for tourism,” he added.
Regarding wastewater treatment, Rim said the nation has six operational treatment stations with a total capacity of 51,960 cubic metres per day. These stations are located in Phnom Penh, as well as Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, Pursat, Stung Sen and Kampot towns.
He noted that wastewater treatment stations are also under construction in Sisophon, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng towns.
