Tap water has not been running for over a month in Khamngoy village, Vientiane’s Xaysettha district, residents noticed.
But that’s not the only affected area.
“The tap water in Sivilay, Xaythany district, has not been running for three weeks,” another resident wrote on Facebook.
Authorities acknowledged the shortfall and said they are working to address the ongoing challenge.
On 2 April, Vientiane Water Supply State Enterprise began operations at the Thatkhao Water Treatment Plant, a new addition to the capital’s water infrastructure.
Situated in Sisattanak district beside the Mekong River, the plant now feeds into the city’s piping system with a production capacity of 20,000 cubic metres per day. Construction began in mid-2025, and the facility is now fully operational.
The plant is expected to improve water access across several nearby villages, including Dongpalan, Phonsinouan, Phonthan, and Saphanthong, and could also benefit parts of the neighbouring Chanthabuly and Xaysettha districts.
The opening comes at a critical time.
Tap water shortages remain a recurring problem in the capital, particularly between March and May, when temperatures peak and the Mekong River, the city’s main raw water source, runs at its lowest.
According to the Department of Water Supply, current production stands at around 370,000 cubic metres per day against a demand of roughly 400,000, leaving about 10 percent of the city unserved.
The gap is felt on the ground. In Xaysettha district, residents of both Sengsawang and the neighbouring Khamngoy village have been without water for weeks, a situation that mirrors last year.
A second new plant in Thapha village, also in Sisattanak, is more than 90 percent complete and will add another 20,000 cubic meters per day. The existing Chinaimo Water Plant in the same district is also being upgraded, from 80,000 to 120,000 cubic meters per day, with completion expected by 2028.
