The Royal Government of Cambodia has officially launched the Takhmao Water Treatment Plant and the Koh Norea Replacement Intake Station, in a major boost to the clean-water supply infrastructure of southern Phnom Penh and Takhmao town.
The August 14 inauguration ceremony was presided over by Vongsey Vissoth, Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, who represented Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Ueno Atsushi, ambassador of Japan to Cambodia.
Developed under a Special Purpose Company (SPC) model and funded through Japanese grant aid, the Takhmao plant utilises advanced Japanese technology that delivers high production capacity while requiring less land area.
The facility can produce 30,000 cubic metres of clean water per day, raising the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority’s (PPWSA) total capacity to just over a million cubic metres per day.
Also inaugurated was the Koh Norea intake station, a PPWSA-OCIC project, aimed at restoring the impacts of the New Koh Norea Development Project on PPWSA’s Nirodh Water Treatment Plant.
The new $28 million pumping station has a capacity of 460,000 cubic metres per day to supply the current and future expansion needs of the Nirouth Water Treatment Plant, serving homes, businesses, and key development zones, including the Techo International Airport area.
“These facilities will boost Cambodia’s clean water supply, and mark another step toward the ‘Clean Water for All’ initiative and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030,” noted Vissoth.
They make a significant contribution to the PPWSA’s efforts to supply residents of Phnom Penh and Takhmao with clean water that meets high standards of quality, safety and sustainability, at reasonable prices, he added.
Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation Hem Vanndy also addressed the event.
He noted that the water supply nationwide rose 72 per cent in recent years, climbing from about 309 million cubic metres in 2018 to roughly 530 million in 2024, with the PPWSA accounting for about 59 per cent of the increase in 2024.
“Access to clean water networks under the industry ministry’s jurisdiction rose markedly, from 781,908 households in 2018 to 2,982,831 households in 2024,” he said.
The PPWSA has continued to strengthen production capacity, surpassing one million cubic metres per day in late 2024, and has expanded its distribution network to more than 5,000 kilometres of pipelines. The Takhmao plant alone will meet the needs of about 23,000 connections, including households, businesses and industrial zones.
Ambassador Ueno said the project reflects the long-standing friendship between Cambodia and Japan.
“Japan’s support for Cambodia’s water sector since the 1990s has helped deliver the so-called ‘Miracle of Phnom Penh’ in terms of water supply services, which will now be extended to other cities and provinces,” he said.
The construction of the Takhmao Water Treatment Plant ran from March 2022 to July 2025. It was built by the KKKCT Consortium under the PPWSA’s supervision. It received a 3,421 million Japanese yen (about $23.25 million) grant from Japan via JICA as an SPC, with import duties and taxes borne by the Royal Government of Cambodia.
