The feasibility study for a Japan-funded water treatment plant in Takhmao city was recently finished, with construction due to begin April next year, the agency in charge of the project revealed. The plant, to be built with a grant from the Japanese government, will produce 30,000 cubic metres of water per day, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), who drafted the feasibility study, said. Construction is set to begin in April 2021 and will last until Sept 2023, Jica Deputy Director Shigeyuki Matsumoto told the Cambodian Minister of Industry and Handicrafts Cham Prasidh in a meeting Tuesday. He added that Jica is now preparing the documentation needed to request the grant from the Japanese government. The Japanese official noted that Jica also completed an environmental impact assessment on the project which will be discussed with relevant Cambodian ministries in upcoming months. Minister Cham Prasidh welcomed the news and praised Japan for its role in the development of Cambodia through the provision of technical assistance and development aid, saying the proposed plan is an important project because the demand for clean water in the city grows every year. Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) can produce 580,000 cubic metres of clean water per day. By the end of 2019, PPWSA will be able to produce 612,000 cubic metres of clean water per day, but this is still insufficient to meet daily demand, said PPWSA Director-General Sim Sitha. “We plan to build three more water treatment plants. They will be located in Bak Khaeng I and II, and in Takhmao,” he said. Construction of the plant in Bak Khaeng I began in October, he said. The plant will have a capacity of 195,000 cubic metres per day. It is scheduled for completion in 2022, and will cost more than $200 million. (Source: Khmer Times)