Work on extension of the water network in Phonxay, a commune in the province of Luang Prabang in Laos, began on 5 May last. Phonxay, the capital of the district with the same name, is a small rural town and one of the poorest in Laos. The Sewit project (Support the extension of water supply in small towns) is funded by Sedif (Île-de-France water syndicate) and the Lao government. The objective of the project is to improve living conditions for communities in the province of Luang Prabang through better access to drinking water.
GRET is supporting the Department of public works and transport (DPWT) and the Water company (Nampapa) in the province of Luang Prabang. Extension of the Phonxay network should make it possible to supply over 700 people in the village of Houay Loung, and part of the village of Houay Piang, located on the outskirts of Phonxay.
The work includes pipe-laying and the construction of a 120 m³ water storage reservoir that will enable supply to new villages and improve the water service performance. Pipe-laying is managed by the Luang Prabang water company and a construction company was mobilised to build the reservoir.
GRET signed a results-based contract with the DPWT, which includes coverage of connection for poor households. The DPWT committed to reach a 35 % connection rate in the village of Houay Loung before the end of the project. Once the service is operational in the new villages, sessions to promote connections will be organised to incite households to get connected.
