April_1967 — Page 34

SOUTH VIET NAM

AIGON, whose civilian population S

is now estimated at nearly two million, has for many years faced an acute water shortage.

Its river water is brackish and cannot be treated for either domestic or industrial use and until recently the only potable supply came from deep wells scattered around the city. From these wells water is pumped directly without any treatment into the iron pipe distribution system.

In some areas the iron content of the water is so high that water from the tap cannot be used for domestic purposes even after filtration through sand beds. In addition, the water is so saline that pipes and fittings be- come corroded after less than a year's service.

Faced with these problems, the Viet Nam Government hired the consulting firm Hydrotechnic Cor- poration of New York to make a preliminary report on the future water requirements. Two other American firms Guy B. Panero Engineers and Hazen and Sawyer were engaged to make further studies.

In 1961 the study by Hydrotechnic Corporation resulted in a project re- port recommending the establishment of a treatment complex with a 127 million gallons a day capacity.

It was decided to use the Dong Nai river in Bien Hoa, a small town about 20 miles from Saigon as a source of water. The complex was

SAIGON WATER SCHEME

to be built in two parts: a raw water pumping station in Bien Hoa and a treatment plant in Thu Duc located between Saigon and Bien Hoa and on a higher level than Saigon.

To carry out the project, a special office was set up known as the Saigon Metropolitan Water Office. The Viet Nam Government then negotiated a US$17,500,000 loan from the U.S. Development Loan Fund, now part of U.S. AID. Since the total cost is nearly $27 million, the Water Office decided in 1962 to raise the water price from VN$3 to VN$6 (5 cents US) per cubic metre.

Project Description

Water pipelines were required be- tween the pumping station and treat- ment complex and from the complex to the Saigon distribution system. Second- ary pipelines were also needed to re- place the obsolete distribution system.

The project is therefore divided into two main contracts known as contracts No. 1 and No. 2. Competi- tive bidding was called from a limited list of qualified contractors.

The $9 million No. 1 contract was awarded to the French firm les Etablissements Eiffel. Since the specifications required 78 in. dia- meter reinforced concrete pipes which have never been made in Viet Nam, a subcontract for their fabrication was awarded to the specialist firm

Interpace (International Pipe and Ceramics

of Corporation)

Orange, New Jersey.

The raw water

pipeline is

East

km. long made up of 72 in dia- meter pipe in 6 metre sections, while the treated water line of 78 in. dia- meter runs for more than 12 km.

No. 2 contract was awarded to the Hawaiian Dredging. Saigon, a joint venture of Hawaiian Dredging and Construction Co. Ltd., International J. H. Pomeroy & Co. Inc., and Gam- mon (Malaya) (1959) Ltd.

This contract specified the supply and installation of all the equipment and the construction of all the build- ings and facilities. The raw water pumping station was built on the up- per side of the Dong Nai river about one mile from Bien Hoa. The main equipment consists of six vertical pumps manufactured by de Laval Turbine Inc. of Trenton, New Jersey (USA). The pumps have the follow- ing specifications: Capacity at rated head: 16,500 US gal min. Rated head (TDH): 168 ft. Minimum bowl efficiency: 85 per cent. Speed: 750 rev/min. Motor type: synchronous. BHP at rated head: 825 h.p.

The river water receives a first dose of chlorine before being discharged into the pipe line leading to the treat- ment plant. The chlorinator is a Wallace Tiernan series A721 with an operating range from 400 lb to 8,000 lb per day. The associated chlorine

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REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM SAIGON METROPOLITAN WATER OFFICE

METROPOLITAN WATER PROJECT

KEY PLAN MAJOR FACILITIES AND CONTRACTS

CORPORATION

SC 1731-0

Far East Architect & Builder April, 1967