Storing fresh water for use when saltwater intrusion occurs
Living in Tan Phu Dong islet, where saltwater intrusion often appears every year after the Lunar New Year, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Khanh (resident of Tan Phu Dong commune, Dong Thap province) said that his family has built many cement tanks to store fresh water. Right from the beginning of the rainy season, his family has collected rainwater into the tank to store, serving living needs and cooking in the next dry season.
According to Mr. Khanh, saltwater intrusion usually occurs after the Lunar New Year, when the Tien River water is salinized. Therefore, every time there are heavy rains in the rainy season, his family proactively stores water to use for the next dry season. This water source is prioritized for daily life.
In the durian growing area in Cai Lay, Ms. Le Thi Hiep (resident in Thanh Phu commune, Dong Thap province) said that her family has a lot of experience in responding to saltwater intrusion. “Currently, my family has proactively stored fresh water in the pond to serve irrigation for fruit orchards when saltwater intrusion occurs,” Ms. Hiep shared.
According to Ms. Hiep, the sewer system in the area has been built closed. When saltwater intrudes, the sewers will be closed to protect fresh water sources. Inside the system, people proactively store fresh water, combined with using water from storage ponds to ensure irrigation needs. “Even when saltwater intrusion is prolonged, people's production is not greatly affected,” Ms. Hiep added.
Localities direct saltwater intrusion response 2025-2026
At the end of October 2025, Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee issued Directive No. 04 on drought and saltwater intrusion prevention and control for 2026. The Directive requires departments, branches and local authorities to focus on implementing many key tasks to proactively prevent the harmful effects of drought and saltwater intrusion.
The communes and wards in the Southwest and downstream of the province must proactively develop plans and plans for preventing, combating, and responding to drought and saltwater intrusion in the dry season 2025 - 2026 in detail and specifically for each region, each area, each locality, and unit to proactively respond promptly and effectively when bad situations occur according to the "4 on-the-spot" motto.
At the same time, assigning Tien Giang Water Supply One Member Limited Liability Company to prepare well for water source assurance for water supply stations affected by prolonged drought and salinity: Dredging reservoirs and proactively pumping water supply to increase freshwater storage capacity; continuously monitoring the salinity on the river to ensure water supply to storage ponds according to regulations. Maintaining backup drilled wells to be ready to operate pumping water supply to people in the provincial administrative center area and eastern communes and wards when the surface water level exceeds the permitted standards; upgrading and renovating the existing water supply pipeline system to receive and distribute water from Dong Tam Water Plant to stations in eastern communes and wards.
After Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee soon issued a response directive, on December 30, 2025, Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee issued Directive 09 on strengthening leadership and direction in drought and saltwater intrusion response in the province.
Accordingly, the Standing Committee of Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee requested to strengthen the management, operation and effective exploitation of disaster prevention and control projects that have been invested in the province; pay attention to dredging the inland canal system, clearing flow; maintaining, repairing, and upgrading the irrigation and dyke system to maximize efficiency of use. Proactively build and implement flexible and effective operating schedules for sewers and pumping stations; prioritize creating sources and supplying water to water plants, serving agricultural production and people's needs in the province.
According to forecasts, in the dry season 2025-2026, saltwater intrusion is likely to penetrate deeper than the multi-year average, the highest salinity may appear in March 2026.
