Service: A Nu 31.4 million water filtration plant was inaugurated in Trongsa on April 13.

The filtration plant, funded by the Mangdechhu hydropower project, will filter 2.4 million litres of water a day.

The plant will provide households with clean drinking water.

The director of the company that constructed the plant, Zeko, said that it has been designed specifically for Bhutan. He said that since Bhutanese depend on surface water rather than wells, a lot of debris and dirt can be found in water sources especially during the monsoon.

While the plant will be able to provide water that is safe to drink, Zeko said that ultimately it depends on the pipe network. He said that if pipes are rusted or if a pipe runs near a sewer than contamination would occur. He added that households would still have to take precautions such as boiling their water.

Zeko also pointed out that the plant will not be able to change the colour of the water if the source is muddy. He said that the plant will only filter the water.

The plant is equipped with a back up generator so water can still be filtered if the electricity goes out.

The plant was built by Sangsel Eco Trade and Environmental Services, which will be responsible for providing maintenance. It is tied up with a foreign company Euro Water that was responsible for design and manufacturing.

The water filtration project started in 2014 but couldn’t be completed on time because the civil contractor had difficulty with the terrain, which included a 2km stretch of road being washed away during the monsoon.

Gyalsten K Dorji