“Over 50% of the rural Cambodian population does not have access to safe drinking water” – https://www.waterforcambodia.org/
Many people in Cambodia do not have access to safe drinking water. To fix this, the Cambodian government (as well as many other foreign governments and organizations) is working to help fix this problem faced by Cambodian citizens.
In the center of Cambodia lies the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap lake. So, while there is relatively easy access to water from these said locations as well as the rain from monsoon season, however the biggest issue faced is treating and/or purifying the water properly.
Many organizations (both inside and outside Cambodia) have suggested and emphasized using Reverse Osmosis Cleaning Systems. Others have tried to encourage all Cambodian citizens to boil their water before using it to cook or drink. Boiling the water would help to kill off any bacteria. Hopefully soon there will be better alternatives for treating the water.
Cambodia is a poor country that lacks infrastructure so there are not many waste water treatment plants. Every day, tons of waste goes into Cambodia rivers in lakes. Some of these lakes and rivers are where citizens get their drinking, bathing and cooking water. The government is currently trying to help resolve this issue by building new waste water treatment facilities. There are many organizations (the DEWATS Project and the Ministry of Environment) that are helping to speed up the governments’ efforts. Right now they are focusing on helping improve the conditions in the heavily populated cities and urban areas. After the cities are in better the condition, the government will most likely start to move to help the rural communities. Right now, the best waste water treatment facility is in Siem Reap (one of the largest cities in Cambodia). Waste water is directed towards giant cement “ponds” where the water sits until everything in the water separates out by density. After it is separated, the water is taken from the “ponds” and then let back into Cambodia’s many lakes and rivers.
In addition to the creation of waste water treatment facilities, the Cambodian government has begun to pass laws and regulations that make it illegal for waste water to be released into the lakes until it has been properly treated. The government has also created tools used to determine whether the water is contaminated.
While many citizens collect water from rivers and lakes, many actually collect rainwater during monsoon season when water is plentiful. Unfortunately, there are issues with the collected rainwater; the rainwater usually contains viruses, bacteria, and parasites. If Cambodian citizens were better educated in safe techniques to preserve and collect the rainwater, it would be much safer to collect and use. There are also many citizens who use ceramic filters to create viable drinking water.
There is an extreme lack of infrastructure in Cambodia which has been detrimental to their water safety and access to a means to create a sufficient amount of water treatment and purification facilities. As the country continues to develop and the population continues to rise, the government will hopefully be able to take more initiative and help out with creating safe water resources for their citizens.
Sources:
http://www.ais.unwater.org/ais/pluginfile.php/501/mod_page/content/87/report_cambodia.pdf
https://www.waterforcambodia.org/
https://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-cambodia
http://www.pureaqua.com/en/countries/cambodia-water-treatment-purification-filtration
http://www.bama.ua.edu/~joshua/archive/may10/aguilar.pdf
Cambodia: 