Kampot town will receive a new water treatment plant and water supply system by mid-2017.

Ek Sonn Chan, secretary of state at the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, said yesterday that construction of the plant was slated to begin at the end of 2015.

Once built, it is expected to produce about 7,000 cubic metres of water a day.

“The water treatment plant along with the new supply system will be able to cover 100 per cent of Kampot’s area after completion. According to the plan, the project will take around a year and a half to complete,” Sonn Chan said.

The project will be implemented by a Japanese contractor, with bidding expected to open in Japan around September, he said.

Financing for the project will come from $25 million in grant aid from the Japanese government.

The project’s goal is to put an end to the clean water shortage in Kampot town, as only about 60 per cent of the town’s area currently has access to clean water.

Demand for clean water in Kampot town is high partly due to the increasing number of tourists over the past few years, Kampot province governor Khoy Khun Hour said.

“It will benefit the tourism sector as visitors to Kampot are increasing every year. There are also increasing numbers of hotels, while the water supply has not kept up in all parts of Kampot town,” he said.

“As the living standards of people are rising, the demand for clean water is also rising.”