Statistics show about 250,000 households in the Mekong Delta face shortages of water for daily use. Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Tien, head of the Department of Technical Infrastructure under the Ministry of Construction said the ministry is coordinating with agencies and the WB to study building water-supply plants for the Mekong Delta region. Five plants are expected to be built with a total capital of US$1.3-1.7 billion in three stages. The capital for the first phase from 2017-2023 is estimated at US$440 million. Le Duy Hung, WB’s Senior Urban Specialist, said the Vietnamese government’s corresponding capital in the first phase will be US$40 million, while the WB will lend Vietnam the rest. The WB dispatched a loan worth US$7 million to prepare a feasibility study for phase one.