On the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River, in Boalkhali upazila, stands one of the largest public water infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the region – the Bhandaljuri Water Treatment Plant.
Built at a cost of Tk 1,856 crore by the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWASA), the plant was envisioned as a long-term solution to water insecurity in South Chattogram. Designed to treat up to 60 million litres per day (MLD), it was expected to supply treated river water to four upazilas – Boalkhali, Patiya, Anwara, and Karnaphuli – through a 133-kilometre pipeline network.
Yet today, the facility is operating at barely seven percent of its installed capacity.
A plant without customers
According to CWASA officials, the plant is currently producing only around 4 MLD – a fraction of its designed output. Of the projected 15,000 subscribers, only about 3,000 connections have so far been established. More strikingly, just one industrial client is actively drawing water.
From the outset, the project allocated 73% of its capacity – approximately 44 MLD – for industrial use, with the remaining 27% earmarked for households. The expectation was that large industrial consumers would anchor demand and ensure financial viability.
One such key client was Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited, whose daily requirement stands at around 20 million litres. CWASA installed a dedicated connection to the factory.
However, CUFL continues to rely primarily on its own internal production system.
“We produce our own water through our in-house plant and deep tubewells,” said Uttam Chowdhury, chief chemist and head of operations at CUFL. “If necessary, we sometimes take water from WASA, but we are largely self-sufficient.”
Financial viability in question
The underutilisation carries financial consequences.
While monthly operational costs exceed Tk 1 crore, income from water sales stands at roughly Tk 22 lakh. The deficit has effectively turned the project into a loss-making venture.
Civil society representatives and local observers have questioned whether adequate demand assessments were conducted prior to construction. Critics argue that nearly Tk 2,000 crore has been invested in infrastructure that remains largely idle, raising broader concerns about planning, coordination and financial sustainability.
Efforts to obtain comments from CWASA Managing Director Monuara Begum were unsuccessful.
However, Superintending Engineer (Treatment and Production) Mohammed Mahbubul Alam said that three additional industrial clients are in the process of completing connection formalities. He expressed hope that demand would gradually increase.
A city still thirsty
The paradox is difficult to ignore.
While Bhandaljuri struggles to attract consumers in South Chattogram, the metropolitan core continues to face persistent shortages. CWASA data show that Chattogram city’s daily demand stands at approximately 800 million litres. Current production ranges between 550 and 560 million litres, meeting only 65 to 70 percent of total demand.
CWASA operates several major facilities, including the Mohra Water Treatment Plant, Karnaphuli Water Treatment Plants 1 and 2, and the Madunaghat Water Treatment Plant. Despite these initiatives, at least 10% of the city’s 96,000 connections reportedly do not receive regular supply.
Residential consumers account for around 93% of total connections, with commercial users comprising the remaining seven percent, collectively serving an estimated 3.2 million people.
Yet water from Bhandaljuri has not been integrated into the broader urban supply grid, leaving a high-capacity plant underused even as shortages persist elsewhere.
