Inauguration of DEWATS at the Staff Dormitory of the Faculty of Engineering

By Kieu Ly Doan, BORDA-LIRE, Lao

In the end of January 2010 the Lao Institute for Renewable Energy (LIRE) have completed a demonstration DEWATS as a community-based sanitation service for the Staff Dormitory Residence in Sokpaluang Campus in cooperation with the Faculty of Engineering (FoE) – NuoL through its ICI Partnership Project with the Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC).

This first Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System (DEWATS) implemented in the Lao PDR was inaugurated on 31st March 2010 at the Staff Dormitory of the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos in Vientiane Capital with the participation of various representatives from government departments and offices at provincial and district levels as well as international organizations.

The opening ceremony was organized in close cooperation with the dormitory residents and LIRE.
After a speech given by Prof. Dr. Kamphone (ICI Project Manager), Andreas Ulrich (BORDA Director), Mr. Bounchan (Design Engineer) and Mr. Saleumphone (LIRE Director) the DEWATS ownership was handed over to the representative of the community. The opening ceremony provided governmental and international organizations the opportunity to discuss urban sanitation and waste water issues in the Lao PDR, the solutions proposed by LIRE, and also to meet LIRE DEWATS experts. Altogether it was a very successful inauguration of the first DEWATS in the Lao PDR.