Water and Urban Initiative
Working Paper Series
Number 05 — April 2015

The Current Status and Solutions
for Urban Water Environment inHanoi City
Phan Thi Thuy Hoan Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change, Hanoi
Ngo Thi Van Anh Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change, Hanoi
Cao Hoang Hai Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change, Hanoi
Le Ngoc Cau Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change, Hanoi
Ha Thi Lien Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change, Hanoi

Le Cong Binh Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology, and Climate Change, Hanoi

Water and Urban Initiative
This working paper series shares findings produced as part of the research activities under the Water and Urban Initiative(WUI), a research project of the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). TheWUI aims to contribute to sustainable development, focusing on developing countries in Asia, by providing policy tools and aninformation platform to assist planning and implementing policies for sustainable urban and water environment.
To find out more, please visit unu.edu/research/water-and-urban-initiative.html© 2015 United Nations University. All Rights Reserved.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations University.

The Current Status and Solutions for Urban Water Environment in Hanoi CityABSTRACT
Combined sewer system in the inner Hanoi city is one of
the challenges for water drainage work when heavy rains
happen, and making waste water treatment costly. Main
waste sources of Hanoi urban area consist of: Domestic
waste, hospital waste, and industrial waste. Hanoi has
been planning some centralized waste water treatment
plant which solves a number of current issues in temporallyperiod, but long-term and efficient measures are needed
for sustainable development. “Waste water separation andtreatment at sources” would bring economic efficiency,
and sustainable development for human health and environment. Some solutions have been studied and will be
discussed more detail in this report. The proposal includes:
Establish medical waste water treatment system meeting
National Technical Regulation in hospitals; Build up waste
water collection and treatment system in residental areas;
Set up waste water treatment system meeting requirements of National Technical Regulation in the industrial
zones before discharging to combined sewer system.

1. INTRODUCTION
After the sixth congress of the party in 1986, Viet Nam hasdeveloped economy towards market economy and focus
development towards industrialization and modernization.
Along with economic development, urbanization process
is quick and powerful. So far, Hanoi is listed among thecities with high densities in the world (according to 2014
statistics, as of December 2013, the average population
density in the inner city Hanoi at about 22,000 people/
km2, especially, Dong Da district with density up to 40,000people/km2)[1]. It is the fastest and rapid growing for along time and recently led to many consequences when theold infrastructure does not meet the development leads toincreased environmental pollution in general, water urban
particular is one of the prominent environmental problems
in the city of hanoi today.
The main sources of pollution in urban inner city Hanoi
include: domestic waste water from the source of residential areas and source of commercial services is estimatedat 723,000 m3/day in which wastewater in urban area:
approximately 600,000 m3/day, wastewater from the hotels
and commercial centers - tourism: 123,000 m3/day.[2]. The
total volume of wastewater from industrial parks, industrial
clusters in Ha Noi is estimated around 80,000 m3/day;Thetotal volume of Medical waste water discharged daily atapproximately 6,000 m3/day.[3].
In this study we focused on the research assessment of water quality in rivers inner Hanoi; wastewater in some innercity hospitals Hanoi; wastewater in some industrial areasof the inner city Hanoi, through the chain of several yearsof observation data of Hanoi center for natural resources
monitoring and environmental analysis. Research using2

the statistical method, comparative analysis to assess thequality of water from the source of pollution to surface
water on the rivers inner Hanoi. Since it launched measures to improve water quality in these river while providing
appropriate solutions to improve water quality in the main
pollution sources.

2. SUBJECTS AND STUDY METHODS
2.1. Subjects
Subjects were selected in the study include: wastewater ata hospital in the inner city of Hanoi; waste water of a number of industrial parks in Hanoi; surface water in the rivers
inner Hanoi city;
Sampling site:
Hospital waste water: at the location after the wastewater
treatment system of the hospital or at the location of thedischarge of the sewer system of the hospital into generalsewer system of the city. The selected hospitals for assessment in this study include: Cancer Hospital, Central Hospital Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Central Hospitalof Endocrinology, Hospital of Transport, Central Children’sHospital, Hanoi Friendship hospital, Obstetric hospital,Dong Da Hospital. The data used to evaluate the qualityof hospital waste water were collected in the period from2009 to 2013.
Waste water in the industrial parks: at the location ofindustrial sewage before discharge into general sewer system of the city. Selected industrial parks for the research include: Chem IP, Cau Dien P, Phap Van, Van Dien, Cau Buou,Thuong Dinh, Mai Dong, Nam Thang Long. The data usedto assess the quality of industrial waste water is monitored
data from 2008 to 2012 of Hanoi Center for Environmental
and Natural Resources Mornitoring and Analysis
Surface water in the rivers inner of Hanoi city: at 26 monitoring sample sites along the rivers: Set river (4 samplesites), Lu river ( 4 sample sites), Kim Nguu river ( 4 samplesites), To Lich river (14 sample sites). The data used to assess the quality of surface water is monitored data from2009 to 2013.
Sampling frequency:
Waste water from hospitals: 1 time/year
Waste water in the industrial parks: 2 times/year in dry andraining season.
Surface water in the rivers inner of Hanoi city: 2 times/year
in dry and raining season.
The monitoring parameters:
Waste water from hospitals: : pH, COD, BOD5, TSS, NH+4,NO-3, Octophosphate (based on PO43-), total Oil, S2-,total Coliform, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio cholera.
Waste water in the industrial parks: pH, COD, BOD5, TSS,
Cl-, F-, CN-, S2-, Phenol, As, Fe, Cd, Pb, Cr6+, Cr3+, Hg,

The Current Status and Solutions for Urban Water Environment in Hanoi CityCu, Zn, Ni, total N, total P, Mn, total Oil, Surfactant, totalColiform.
Surface water in the inner of Hanoi city: pH, DO, COD,BOD5, TSS, NH4+, Cl-, F-, NO-3, NO-2, CN-, PO43-, Phenol, As, Fe, Cadimi, Pb, Cr6+, Cr3+, Hg, Cu, Zn, Ni, total
Oil, Surfactant, total Coliform.
2.2. Study Method
Using statistical method, compare: String data is used tocalculate the results observed for many years, on the basisof applicable regulations allowed for each type of waste
water compared with the permitted Regulation that assesswater quality.
Regulations applicable to evaluate the quality of hospitalwastewater: Value column B of Regulation industrial wastewater QCVN 28: 2010/MONRE; Regulations applied toevaluate the quality of industrial wastewater: Value column
B of Regulation industrial wastewater QCVN 40: 2011/
MONRE; Regulations applied to assess water quality: Valuecolumn B2 of surface water quality standards QCVN 08:
2008/MONRE.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Results of monitoring the quality of hospital wastewater
Waste water quality monitoring at several of beyond allowable NTR as following:

Figure 1: Graph of the monitoring results BOD5 concentrations
in sewage some hospitals in the inner Hanoi city.[4]3Organic substances
BOD5: BOD5 content range from 5-276mg/l, there are
25/40 mornitoring results giving the BOD5 value beyond
allowable NTR.
Nutrients
NH4+: There are 31/40 monitoring values with high ammonium contents exceeding NTR, ranging from 0.1 to69.3mg/l. The hospitals that have high ammonium content
are Central Hospital Hematology and Blood Transfusion
and Central Hospital for Children.
Coliform: total coliform contents in all the hospitals arevery high, ranging from 900 to 1.1*109 MPN/100ml andthere are 35/40 values many times higher than QCVN 28:
2010/MONRE(B colum).
The pathogenic microorganisms such as Salmonella,
Cholera: Bacterial pathogens are still found in the mornitoring results in the Central Hospital Endocrinology, Hanoi
Maternity hospital and Dong Da Hospital. This suggeststhat the risk of the disease from spreading organisms into
the water environment is high.
3.2. Results of monitoring data of industrial wastewater
Monitoring data in several of industrial parks, industrial
clusters as follows: some typical parameters exceed NTR as
following:

Figure 2: Graph of the monitoring results NH4+ concentrations
in sewage some hospitals in the inner Hanoi city.[4]The Current Status and Solutions for Urban Water Environment in Hanoi City

Figure 3: Graph of the monitoring results BOD5 concentrations
in sewage some industrial zones in the inner Hanoi city.[5]Figure 5: Graph of the monitoring results DO concentrations inthe rivers inner Hanoi city.[6]Figure 4: Graph of the monitoring results COD concentrations insewage some industrial zones in the inner Hanoi city.[5]Figure 6: Graph of the monitoring results NH4+ concentrationsin the rivers inner Hanoi city.[6]Organic substances
BOD5: BOD5 content ranges from13-281mg/l, there are
56/64 mornitoring results giving BOD5 beyond NTR.
COD: COD value ranges from 33-634mg/l, with 43/64
monitoring results having COD values exceeding NTR. The
IPs that have high COD contents are: Cau Buou (295 mg/l),
Mai Dong (333 mg/l); Cau Dien (634 mg/l); Phap Van (375mg/l); Chem (343 mg/l).

4Nutrients: total nitrogen content in the mornitored Ips
havs values 37- 88.7mg/l, with 20/64 monitoring value results exceeding NTR. The IP that oftern have value exceeding NTR is Mai Dong IP. NH4+: There are 45/64 monitoring
results with high ammonium contents exceeding NTR from

The Current Status and Solutions for Urban Water Environment in Hanoi City

1.1 times to 7.6 times. The industrial parks that have highcontents of of ammonium are Phap Van, Thuong Dinh, Cau
Dien.
Coliform: total coliform contents are relatively high andexceed QCVN 40: 2011/MONRE (B colum).
Heavy metal: Most content of heavy metals (Cu, As, Pb,Hg, Cd) meet QCVN 40: 2011/MONRE (B). Particularly,values of Hg, As in Van Dien Industrial Park QCVN exceedpermitted NTR. For Cr, Mn, Ni, the values in Nam ThangLong only exceed the NTR.

5

3.3.Results of monitoring water quality in the rivers inner city Hanoi
Through the results of monitoring water quality in the rivers
inner city Hanoi there are some remarks as following:
Dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) in the surface waterof the rivers is low, below the level of development of somespecies (> 4). During the dry season the measured value islower than the rainy season. DO values at mornitoring sites
in the river range from 0.1 to 7 mg/l. There are 33% of themornitoring values of DO lower than NTR (<2mg/l).
BOD5 contents beyond the allowable limit of NTR from1.1 to 20 times (There are 33% of the mornitoring values
exceeded NTR). COD values at all mornitoring sites exceed
NTR from 1.1 – 10times times (There are 97% of the mornitoring values exceed NTR). The result showed that the levelof organic pollution in the river is high.
Nutrients: NH4+: contents of ammonium at all positions
are higher than NTR exceed the limit of NTR from 9.75 to58.5 times. PO43-: phosphate contents at all mornitoringsites exceed NTR from 1.2 – 52 times.
Oil total: total oil contents at mornitoring sites are ratherhigh, ranging 0.1 to 18.8 mg/l. Proportion of samples exceeding NTR accounts for 97%, from 1.3 to 66 times.
Coliform: total coliform contents are at high levels, ranging
from 2,300 -110,000,000 MPN/100ml.

Figure 7: Graph of the monitoring results BOD5
concentrations in the rivers inner Hanoi city.[6]Heavy metals: there are heavy metal polution in the river
as for Fe, there are 23% values exceeding NTR, from 1.1 to20 times higher than NTR; and Cr6+ ( 10.8% values exceeding NTR, from 1.3 to 4 times higher than NTR).

4. DISCUSSION
Through the mornitoring results of water quality in the
inner city of Hanoi some hospitals and several industrial
zones, some remarks can be given as follows:
Water quality in the river city Hanoi was organic pollution,
eutrophication, microbial contamination at high level andsigns of heavy metal pollution (Fe, Cr6+).

Figure 8: Graph of the monitoring results COD concentrations in
the rivers inner Hanoi city.[6]Waste water at the hospital were organic pollution, nutrient (NH4+) at high level. Especially, total coliform werepolluted at high level and the microorganisms that cause
infectious disease outbreaks services such as Salmonella,
Cholera is still found in the effluent of some hospitals.
Waste water discharge points at the end positions of someindustrial were organic pollutants, especially, nutrients andpollutants signs of toxic heavy metals such as Hg, As Van
Dien Industrial zone, heavy metals Cr, Mn, Ni Nam ThangLong Industrial zone.

The Current Status and Solutions for Urban Water Environment in Hanoi City

In order to limit and control the impact of waste water on
the environment and human health should be the appropriate solution to the situation and condition of each object
mitigation. Thereby, maximizing the possibility of reducing
the minimum negative impacts of wastewater on the environment and human health.

5. THE SOLUTIONSRegarding the current wastewater treatment system: theexisting wastewater treatment plant in the city meet only
20% percent of the city waste water. The remain untreatedis discharged into the sewer system and pumped partiallyto the Red River and Nhue cause pollution to the riverreceives waste sources. The implications of this directly
affects the quality and productivity of crops, species andecosystems in downstream of Nhue Day river. There shouldbe measures to reduce the components of pollutants fromthe1. Construct medical waste water treatment system meeting National Technical Regulation in 100% of hospitals,
clinical institutions in Hanoi (currently, there are 50% ofhospital in Hanoi having waste water treatment system).
According to data from inspection reports of Hanoi department of Natural Resources and Environment in 2013, 41
hospitals, clinicals under Hanoi Medical management werechecked and the results are: There 27 per 41 hospitals andclinical have wastewater treatment (accounted for 66%).
Among 27 hospitals have waste water treatment system,
56% of the hospital have waste water quality meet the NTR
before discharge into the general system, the remaining
44% do not meet); 14 per 41 hospitals have no wastewater
treatment systems. [7].
2. From the results of environmental monitoring hospitalwastewater showed that the monitoring frequency 1 time/ year is not enough to control the quality of hospital wastewater and make decisions on sanctions or as a base forother remedies. There is request to build the wastewater
quality monitoring program at the hospitals with frequency
at least 4 times per year.
3. Another issue in management levels: Wastewater after
discharge into the sewer system will be shared by the city
authorities who are responsible for collecting and treatment such as drainage companies, wastewater treatmentcompany, ... Department of Natural Resources and Environmental police will conduct the checking, monitoring andsanctioning the organization which cause pollution. In fact,a large number of medical research institutions, hospitals
under of the Ministry of Health and other ministries, which
is not under the supervision of the Hanoi Environmental
Department (DONRE). They are belong to the management of the Environmental Management Bureau of Ministryof Health. Therefore, the evaluation of the treated waste-6

water quality in these hospitals are not objectively when
there is no monitoring from independent party.
4. Due to land in the urban area cramped irrelevant for the
rehabilitation of sewer separately. Thus the construction of
the collection system and wastewater treatment in residential areas with 10,000 people / collection and treatment
system and then transferred to the treatment plant is necessary. Besides, the apartment buildings, new urban areas
should have wastewater collection system and wastewater
treatment system before discharge to the combined sewer
system of the city.
5. Industrial complexes and zones: 100% industrial complexes and zones have waste water treatment system meeting requirements of National Technical Regulation before
discharging to combined sewer system. There are currently
7 per 8 industrial parks having centralized wastewater treatment systems coming into the stable operation. There are
47 per 107 industrial clusters do not have the construction
item of wastewater treatment systems in the planning;
6. Solutions to enhance a awareness of community: Under
many different forms such as: Communication and education for people to improve their knowledge, deep understanding of the importance of the use of water for theenvironment and human, implement education programfor protecting the water environment in the school. This islong-term solution and the most effective.
7. The result of monitoring water quality in rivers showedthat showed signs of heavy metal pollution, NH4+ andmicrobial contamination at a high level. Therefore we needto regularly dredge the river system in the city to avoid
contamination from surface water into ground water which
affect domestic water supply quality in the city because thesources are mainly from groundwater.

6. CONCLUSION
Through the observation results in water pollution sources:industrial waste, hospital waste water, water in the river cityof Hanoi shows the risk, potentially capable of direct influence environment and human health through direct contact
or indirectly. This suggests that the increased risk of diseases related to water resources and the risk of outbreaksof diseases such as salmonella, cholera and other epidemic
diseases.
Inner Hanoi city shares the sewerage system with the drainage system, as this is one of the difficult and expensive forthe waste water treatment. Major sources of urban areas
including domestic waste, hospital waste resources andindustrial discharges. In the future, the city has planned anumber of sewage treatment plants, however, focuses on
the one hand to solve the situation, but in the long time

The Current Status and Solutions for Urban Water Environment in Hanoi City

we need long-term solutions for the effective and sustainable development. The above solution given to wastewater
treatment in resource efficient will contribute to improveand control the quality of waste water from the source ofpollution is effective in terms of economic and sustainable
development to human health and the environment for
Hanoi city.

References[1] Hanoi Statistical Yearbook, 2013.
[2] Planning for Environmental Protection in Hanoi to 2020, driven by 2030, theDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment, Hanoi, HN 2012[3] General planning on development of Hanoi to 2030 and vision to 2050
[4] The results of environmental monitoring of hospital waste water from 2009 to2013[5] The results of environmental monitoring of Industrial zone waste water from2009 to 2013[6] The results of environmental monitoring of the rives inner city Hanoi zone
waste water from 2009 to 2013[7] Statistics waste water treatment system at the medical facility under Hanoi
Department Health, HN 20137