Polluted water discharged into sea in Vietnam’s Quy Nhon City

Several locals in Nhon Ly Commune lamented that untreated domestic wastewater is being directly dumped into the ocean, producing a strong, unpleasant odor.

Phan Thi Huong, a 63-year-old resident of Ly Chanh Hamlet in the commune, said that restaurants and hotels have mushroomed, while crowds of visitors come, leading to the growing volume of wastewater.

“The smell is unbearable. I run a small drinks stall nearby, and every time the sewer discharges, my customers walk away because they can't stand it,” she said.

“The pipe releases wastewater two to three times a day. 

"We have to wear masks all day."

Le Van Trung, 56, another resident of Ly Chanh Hamlet, shared that the beach is polluted daily, so nobody swims there.

“We hope the authorities will act quickly to protect our lives and preserve the area's appeal for tourists,” he said.

As observed by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on May 25 and 26, black, foamy water directly flowed into the sea through a large drainage.

Rocks near the sewage drain trapped the wastewater, further intensifying the foul smell.

Nguyen Thanh Danh, chairman of the Nhon Ly Commune People’s Committee, confirmed the discharge point is located in Ly Chanh Hamlet.

There is no wastewater treatment in place in Ly Chanh and Ly Hoa Hamlets, he said.

During high tides, waves help carry some of the wastewater out to sea, but during dry seasons, locals are mobilized to manually divert the flow.

“For a long-term strategy, we have proposed building a large-capacity wastewater treatment plant or connecting the sewage drains in the two hamlets to the existing treatment facility in the commune," Danh said.

“However, so far, the plan has yet to be done.” 

Treatment plant operating below capacity

The commune also has a wastewater treatment facility, developed by the management board of land bank development and investment and construction projects.

The plane was designed to treat up to 100 cubic meters per day to serve Ly Hung and Ly Luong Hamlets.

However, the plant is struggling to treat the volume of wastewater in the two hamlets.

Tran Van Hau, deputy director of the board, explained that the facility was part of a broader infrastructure project along the sea wall near the two hamlets, initiated in 2022.

While most of the components have been completed, the plant is only running at minimal capacity to maintain the biological treatment system.

He stated that the contractor has been instructed to operate the facility 15 hours per day.

However, since the project has not yet been officially handed over, full operation has been delayed.

Complicating the situation further is the upcoming administrative restructuring at the provincial level, which has stalled the handover process.

“The plant continues to treat some of the wastewater, reducing the load, but the rest still flows through the drainage system into the sea,” he said.