For nearly half a month, 26 households in Quang Trung village, Thach Quang commune, have faced a shortage of domestic water after their well water unexpectedly changed color and emitted a pungent odor. This phenomenon emerged concurrently with a stream flowing through the village changing color, causing concern among residents and disrupting their daily lives.

The well water at Ms. Duong Thi Dung's home has turned an unusual purple color recently. *Photo: Lam Son*

Ms. Duong Thi Dung's family in Trung hamlet has a well nearly 30 m deep that has been stable for many years, but it is now unusable. When pumped, the water appears dark purple, gradually turning red, accompanied by an unusual smell.

"For nearly 20 days, our entire family has had to rely on others for bathing and buy bottled water for drinking and cooking", Ms. Dung said.

Beyond Ms. Dung's family, dozens of households living along the stream in Quang Trung village have also been affected. Villagers reported that the stream was once clear blue, teeming with shrimp and fish, but it began to show signs of pollution about 3-4 years ago. Recently, the situation has become serious, with the water visibly changing color and emitting odors, deterring anyone from swimming or washing clothes as they once did.

The well water of many households in Thach Quang commune has an unusual purple color. *Photo: Lam Son*

Quang Trung village hosts a laundry facility and a large-scale livestock farm. Residents suspect that wastewater discharge from these two establishments is causing the water pollution.

In response to public concerns, the Thach Quang Commune People's Committee organized a dialogue to find solutions. They also dispatched personnel to inspect the site and collect water samples for expert analysis.

On 17/4, Mr. Tong Van Vang, Vice Chairman of the Thach Quang Commune People's Committee, initially identified that the groundwater in Quang Trung village changed color due to untreated wastewater discharged into the environment by Cong ty TNHH BOB Ha Noi. The company has acknowledged that the incident occurred during the operation of its wastewater treatment system.

The wastewater collection tanks of two businesses are located close to the stream bank in Quang Trung village. *Photo: Lam Son*

"It is possible that the wastewater spread along the stream and seeped into the ground, contaminating the underground water sources", Mr. Vang stated. He added that if analysis confirms a violation, authorities will take action in accordance with legal regulations.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh, Deputy General Director of Cong ty TNHH BOB Ha Noi, on the evening of 14/4, an operator of the treatment system fell asleep, leading to the overflow of untreated wastewater. "The purple color appeared because a batch of red clothes was being washed at that time", Mr. Dinh explained.

The company's leadership announced that they have reviewed their entire wastewater treatment process and implemented corrective measures. As an immediate step, the company has provided bottled filtered water to affected households and committed to installing a clean water supply system directly to the village in the coming days.

The stream flowing through Quang Trung village. *Photo: Lam Son*

Local authorities currently advise residents not to use the contaminated water. They also continue to coordinate with specialists from the Department of Agriculture and Environment to determine the extent of the pollution and clarify the responsibilities of all parties.

The Thach Quang Commune Police have been requested to increase surveillance in the area, ensure security, and prevent the emergence of complex situations.

Le Hoang