Municipal: Should everything turnout as planned, Trashigang throm residents would have a water treatment plant installed by this monsoon when water gets muddy and dirty.
Funded by the government at around Nu 30 million (M), the Eurowater treatment plant with a capacity of treating 2.4 million litres of drinking water everyday will ensure the town clean water.
The supplier, Sangsel Eco Trade and Environment Services is in the process of procuring prefabricated materials from Denmark. Director of the company, Zeko said the materials are expected to reach the site by middle of January.
“Once the materials reach the site, it would take about a month to assemble the parts for installation. But we need to wait for the clean water reservoir to complete before we connect it to the plant,” Zeko said.
The coming of Eurowater treatment plant, he said, would mean using an advanced technology that utilizes pressure filters to treat water. The existing water treatment system in Trashigang is limited to sand sedimentation and water chlorination.
“In the existing system, debris and mud from upstream clogs the filtration process, which results in unsafe drinking water. In case of the treatment plant, we rely on backwash technology that guarantees clean and safe drinking water,” he said.
The back wash technology entails use of a manometer that keeps check on the pressure fluctuations. The difference in pressure signifies clogging of the filters.
“When the primary and secondary filters are clogged, the back wash pump together with the air blowers immediately clear all dust particles,” he said. “Given the steadiness of the filters, safe drinking water is ensured. Depending on the maintenance, the plant is expected to last for 50 years.”
The impact of Eurowater treatment plant, Zeko added could be learned from the results seen in places like Bajo and Trongsa towns.
“After the installation of the plant in Bajo, the health sector reported a decrease in water borne diseases,” he said. “However, the community should also be sensitized on the management of the water source and water.”
Zeko said maintaining the Eurowater treatment plant would not involve much expense since the company deployed trained Bhutanese employees unlike others where maintenance is carried out by technicians from the parent companies abroad.
Tshering Wangdi, Trashigang