Exploiting data, mastering the water supply network in the South
Water supply network techniques are inherently a stressful and arduous job with 24/7 shifts and are often defaulted to men. When she first took on the position of Head of Network Engineering Team at Nha Be Water Supply Joint Stock Company (under Saigon Water Corporation - SAWACO), Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hieu received many hesitant looks.
However, with professional understanding and sharp thinking, she has proven that this job is not purely based on physical strength but requires meticulousness, data analysis ability and technology mastery.
Ms. Hieu confided: "Thanks to this profession, I am associated with network work to reduce water loss, satisfying my passion for decoding underground leaks and the practical value that the work brings.
The terrain of the Southern area of Ho Chi Minh City originally had weak soil, mud and a dense network of rivers and canals, creating a major challenge for pipeline protection.
In addition, rapid urbanization with many residential areas and high-rise apartment buildings changes consumption charts, easily causing water shortages during peak hours but oversupplying at night, increasing the risk of pipe bursts.
For her, the greatest happiness after sleepless nights handling pipe burst incidents is that the next morning cool water still flows steadily to each household and the water loss rate (NRW) is reduced year by year.
There are nights when receiving news of water pipe burst incidents on Ton That Thuyet street (Xom Chieu ward), Ms. Hieu rides her motorbike alone from home to the scene. Although it is hard, it does not bother her, because she always maintains a realistic perspective: "To find a solution to the water loss problem, it must start from reality".
Motivation behind the Ton Duc Thang Award
After 4 years of persistent testing from her own field trips, Ms. Hieu and her colleagues have completed the initiative "Determining the water loss rate according to technical solutions in sub-regions (DMA)".
The initiative helps to clearly distinguish the amount of water lost due to mechanical leaks or due to measuring equipment, helping the unit proactively handle and make a profit of more than 2.5 billion VND/year. She also researched applying network simulation software, determining the location of installing pressure relief valves to optimally regulate pressure for each area.
During the journey to stick to the network, the most memorable memory for Ms. Hieu is the incident of a 100mm diameter pipe falling off in a remote residential area in Nha Be district in the past, causing water loss to nearly 4,000m3/day and night.
For a whole week, both feeling sorry for the water source and worrying about the workers, almost day and night I and my brothers stayed in that area to search. They dived into the drainage ditch to feel the water flowing. When the breakwater location was discovered, joy burst out, the Board of Directors also promptly arrived at the scene to encourage the spirit of the brothers" - Ms. Hieu recalled emotionally.
Honored to receive the 2026 Ton Duc Thang Award, the female team leader sees this as both pride and motivation to continue learning and optimizing the water supply system. She always keeps in mind: "Each drop of water retained, each pipeline optimized is not only a professional responsibility, but also the most practical service for customers and the community", true to the spirit of "Water drop from the heart - elevating value" that she always pursues.
