Amid high demand for clean tap water in Phnom Penh – with some areas facing shortages – the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) has announced that it will begin trialing the first phase of the Bakheng water treatment plant on the night of April 21.

The first trials will supply water to several areas in Chroy Changvar district. It notified the public that the water may be slightly discoloured as operations begin.

According to the PPWSA, the capital water authority and VINCI Construction Grand Projects have signed an agreement to construct the first phase of the Bakheng plant, which has the capability of producing 195,000cu m of clean water per day.

The plant is being constructed at a cost of $156 million, with $136 million supported by a loan from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The remaining funding is being provided by the PPWSA.

Construction of the plant began in 2019.