Pursat: The "Pursat Water Supply System Expansion Project" is an investment under a grant of nearly $22 million from Japan. It was officialy inaugurated on Monday, 13 of December at the project site in Phsar village, Sangkat Lolok Sor, Pursat City.

The groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by Senior Minister and Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, Cham Prasidh, the Ambassador of Japan to Cambodia, Mikami Masahiro, and Deputy Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Miyahara Ai. According to a JICA press release, the purpose of the project is to increase access to clean water, stabilize water supply services and improve the quality of life of Pursat residents.

The project aims to construct a raw water pumping station with pumping capacity of 7,260 cubic meters per day and a water treatment plant with production capacity of 6,600 cubic meters per day. Another construction will be an administrative building, as well as a 8.3 km long raw water pumping pipe and 75.4 km long fresh water distribution pipeline.

It will also be provided laboratory equipment for water quality analysis, equipment for electrical appliances, machinery and mechanics, equipment and equipment for home access, including poor households, and accounting management system. The grant will promote technical assistance for the operation and management of constructed equipment and production management.

The construction project, worth 2,405 million yen ($21.9 million), is scheduled to be completed by August 2023. After the completion of construction, the water supply capacity of Pursat Water Supply Authority will increase to 13,860 cubic meters per day. With this capacity, it is expected that by 2025, 86.1% of the urban population (110,531) and 67.9% of the total population in Pursat Water Supply Service area (110,531 people) will receive benefits.

This is the second grant project that the Japanese government has provided to Pursat Water Supply Authority, in addition to the first project in 2014. The new project will significantly support the Ministry's efforts to achieve its goals set out in the National Strategic Development Plan, by 2025 the urban water supply coverage will reach 100%.

JICA has been actively involved in the development of the water supply sector in Cambodia. So far, many water supply infrastructures have been built with grant funding in some provinces such as Kampong Cham, Battambang, Kampot, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, etc.

JICA also implements various technical cooperation projects with Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, Siem Reap Water Supply Authority, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and Public Water Supply Authority to strengthen their technical, financial, management and administrative capacity. In addition, JICA has also provided concessional financing assistance to the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap Water Supply Authority, an autonomous entity, to build water supply facilities.